


A Reylo Christmas

by Biekewieke



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas, Complicated Relationships, Fluff, Light Angst, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 17:18:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16580738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biekewieke/pseuds/Biekewieke
Summary: Complicated situations call for intricate sollutions...So when Leia Organa asks her Personal Assistant Rey to join her on a family vacation in Mon Torri for the holidays and highlights a big bonus, what is she to do?Only catch... Leia's son is coming along...Ben Solo is the enfant terrible of the family.Broody, sullen and with a huge chip on his shoulder, the young man is notoriously difficult.Combine this with complicated family dynamics, and you'll end up with one very interesting holiday...https://biekewieke.tumblr.com/post/179970614228/moodboard-for-my-new-fanfiction-a-reylo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey dear reader!!!! 
> 
> so, yeah, I did a thing...  
> I do love Christmas. To a fault. And this was bound to happen sooner or later...  
> What I intended to be a relatively short long shot turned into a little bit more...  
> I loved writing it, and I hope it's compelling enough to make you smile.
> 
> a massive MASSIVE thank you to my lovely beta's and reylo bestie!   
> Hannelore and Emma  
> and to the wonderful Reylo fic Recs Writers group chat, for listening to me whine about this for weeks on end!!! 
> 
> I love you ladies! you're the best!!!!!!

_December 2 nd  _

_Oh no, I’m going to be late!_

The thought pulsed through her mind like the strings of blinking Christmas lights that decorated every street and avenue in Coruscant.  
Rey made her way along the busy streets, trying to avoid getting caught up in the throngs of people crossing or getting run over by taxis, cars, and motorcycles alike. She didn’t even take the time to enjoy the Christmas lights, nor did she hum any of the Christmas carols as she usually did.  
This was only her third week at her new job and now she was probably going to be late.  
The queue at the local coffee shop had been surprisingly long and it had taken her twice the time to get her order through and pay for it.

_Leia is going to kill me!_

Her new boss was a sweet lady in her late fifties. So far, Leia Skywalker Organa-Solo had been nothing but kind to her. But Rey felt instinctively she was not to be trifled with. Despite her petite frame and gentle face, she had dark eyes that could stare intensely and could pierce someone straight to their soul if she wanted to.

She also had a very specific routine she stuck to and handled her end of the company with near-military precision. Which made Rey deduce she wouldn’t care much for tardiness. Never mind she would be late getting Leia the peppermint hot chocolate she seemed to favor; the reason was not important at all. So Rey found herself rushing through the early morning traffic in Coruscant, trying to balance the small tray with hot drinks.

As she saw the huge skyscraper rise up in front of her, she let out a huge sigh of relief.  
She walked up to the door, choosing to ignore the revolving doors for fear of spilling. Surprise at the absence of Terry, the doorman, briefly flashed through her head, but it passed quickly.  
She carefully shifted the tray to her one hand, while opening the door with her other.  
She was so focused on keeping the beverages level, that she didn’t notice the man stalking out of the building as if the devil was on his heels.  
She took a step forward at the same time he did and the unthinkable happened.

They collided.

 

The tray containing Leia’s hot chocolate and her own hazelnut frap with whipped cream smashed into the man’s midriff with alarming force, splashing all over his coat, vest, and pristine white shirt.  
Rey watched in horrified fascination as time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Everything happened in terrifying slow motion and there was nothing she could do as the stain on his obviously very expensive shirt seemed to grow larger with every passing second.

“Oh, my God, I am so…” she started to say.

“Goddammit! Fuck! Can’t you watch where you’re going for Christ’s sake!”

A deep voice, very obviously upset and aggravated – and not without reason she had to admit – sounded.

“I’m sorry, sir. I was trying so hard not to spill anything that I…” Her voice trailed off as she looked the stranger in the face.

The man was tall.

_Like really tall!_

He towered over her. His broad shoulders were emphasized by his custom-tailored coat. His hair seemed to come straight out of a shampoo commercial. It was jet-black, shiny and luscious, and seemed to beckon her to run her fingers through them.

It wasn’t until she found his gaze that she discovered herself speechless. His eyes were spectacular.  
Framed by ridiculously long lashes, they were dark and alluring with an intensity that could scorch a person’s soul.

For some strange reason, they felt vaguely familiar.  
Did she know this man from somewhere? Had she met him before?

The way he was looking at her made her voice die down. There was something there that made it almost impossible to breathe.

“Next time, ask them for a paper bag,” he spat, his face contorted in an angry scowl. Disdain and resentment dripped from his voice like icicles. Rey was too confounded to reply, so she could do nothing but stare at his retreating back.

When he rounded the corner, she seemed to snap out of her stupor. She looked at the tray in her hands. To her surprise, Leia’s hot chocolate had survived the collision.  
It was her frap that had been destroyed completely.

_Oh well, company coffee it is…_ she thought with resignation.  
She gingerly made her way up to the 24th floor of the Skywalker Skyscraper, where Leia’s office was located.

The moment she arrived, she knew something was up. Leia was in her office, though she obviously was not alone. She could see the shadows of two men through the frosted glass panels. Curiosity made her fingers twitch, but she ignored it as much as she could.  
She quickly took off her coat and cleaned up Leia’s takeaway cup as much as she could. After picking up a mug of coffee from the employee’s station down the hallway, she returned to her desk. As she neared it, the two men exited Leia’s office.

One was the infamous Luke Skywalker, Leia’s brother and CEO of Skywalker Corporations. She had seen him around the office once or twice of course. Not to mention his charismatic face seemed to be plastered on billboards and magazine covers all around the city.  
She did not know the other man, but for some strange reason he too seemed very familiar.  
Both men wore a grim expression and stalked away angrily.

Rey’s eyebrows lifted.  
She wondered what had happened to make those two men, obviously very powerful and important in this business, stalk out of that office as if they had just received a whole shitload of bad news.  
As she stared after them, she mentally counted to sixty. She would allow Leia a few moments to compose herself, instinctively feeling it was necessary.

After she had repeated that two more times, she got up and walked up to Leia’s office carrying both the peppermint hot chocolate and the morning’s correspondence.  
She gingerly knocked on the door and waited for Leia’s reply.

“Come in.”

Rey opened the door and found her employer standing near the windows, overlooking the city with her shoulders slumping.

“Goodmorning Miss Organa. I hope you are well today,” she said cheerfully, as she had every other morning since starting here. She watched Leia’s shoulders twitch and the older woman turned around to look at her. To Rey’s surprise, there was an amused smile on her boss’s face.

“Goodmorning Rey. I trust you had a good start so far?” she asked with a lift of a perfectly manicured eyebrow. Something in those dark eyes sparkled with merit, as if she knew Rey’s morning had gone less than perfect so far.

“Yes, Miss Organa. There was a minimum of hindrance,” she said quietly as she stepped forward.  
“I brought your beverage and this morning’s correspondence. I am to remind you there is a stockholders meeting at ten, followed with a meeting with the sales team. Your husband called yesterday to confirm that you will be having lunch this afternoon at Kanata’s Kantina,” Rey droned.

The older woman smiled wanly.  
“I am well aware of my lunch plans. He reminded me of them not five minutes ago. Although I’m more of a mind to cancel at this moment.”

The remark made Rey frown, but she kept from replying, quite possibly in an inappropriate way.  
“I kept the afternoon free, as you requested. The research report is just about done, I’ll have that ready by the time you head out for the meeting. Is there anything else I could do for you?”  
She handed Leia the hot chocolate and looked at her expectantly. If there was one thing she had learned these past few days, was that Leia always had another demand coming.

“Actually, there is something. Close the door, please.”

There was a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, something that told her trouble was  brewing. Still, she found herself complying without a word.  

Once the door was closed, Leia crossed her arms across her chest.  
“Do you have any plans for the holidays, Rey?”

Rey’s eyebrows lifted in stupefied surprise. “Excuse me?”  
Leia merely chuckled.  
“Forgive me, Rey. I am sometimes too straightforward. But I am in a slight predicament, and I am looking for solutions.” She tilted her head and regarded Rey with a contemplating gaze.  
“Therefore, I repeat. Do you have any plans for the holidays?”

Rey frowned and swallowed hard. Although she loved the holidays immensely, she hated to admit to anyone that she spent her holidays like she spent most every other moment of her time.  
_Alone_.

“As a matter of fact, Miss Organa, I’m sorry to say that I don’t.”

Brief shards of memories flashed before her eyes. Christmas after Christmas, spent alone, in agonizing and suffocating loneliness. The orphanage she had grown up in before moving into foster care had tried to give the children a pleasant holiday, but it sorely lacked in giving them what they wanted most. Or at least what Rey had wanted most.

_A loving family in a storybook Christmas fantasy._

She bit back the unwelcome sting of tears and raised her chin as she lowered her eyes.  
Resignation at the prospect of another lonely Christmas Eve soured her already questionable mood.  
She had thought she had accepted and had even grown to enjoy her holidays alone. Cocooning in her candy-cane onesie at her small apartment with an ugly Christmas tree, watching old Christmas movies and indulging in sugar cookies and eggnog.

“I see. Well, in that case, I would like to know if you would be willing to work through the holidays?”  
Another sinking sensation started in the pit of her stomach, and something in the back of her mind was telling her this was not good…

Still… She needed this job. She needed the money and the security it could provide. She couldn’t risk losing it over something like not being willing to work through the holidays.  
Besides, it was not like she had anything better to do…

“Well, I guess I could…” she started.

“Good!” Leia jumped in. “I’m glad you can. Because I really need you.”

Rey frowned at Leia’s choice of words. “Miss Organa, pardon my asking, but could you please elaborate?” she said softly, because alarm bells were going off in her head.

Leia made a funny face, as if she was kicking herself for not doing that sooner.  
“Right! I’m sorry,” she said with a wide smile. “I’ll explain.”

She moved to her desk and gestured for Rey to take a seat as she did the same.  
“My family and I spend the holidays at our cottage in Mon Torri. We take the time to work on some last-minute project alterations, but also use the different scenery to come up with new plans for the upcoming year. This year, however, there is way more work than I can handle on my own and it may lead up to me having to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day if I try to tackle it alone. That could lead to our family not being able to spend time together, which would cause more… issues.”

Leia leaned forward on her desk, clasping her hands in front of her. “I need you there with me, to assist me as you do here.”

Rey’s face was comical as it dawned on her that Leia wanted her to come along on a family trip.  
“You want me to come with you to Mon Torri?” she sputtered.

Leia’s face became closed as she regarded Rey with severity. “Will that be a problem, Miss Kenobi?” she asked curtly.

“No, of course not!” Rey was quick to respond. “I just assumed that, since this is a family occasion, my presence would not be appropriate.”

Leia regarded her in silence for a moment or two, but it was enough for Rey to become terribly nervous.

“You have only been in my service for three weeks so far, Rey, but you have managed to rearrange my entire office. The efficiency has already improved, and that is not outright saying it doubled, which it has. When I look at your work ethics, I can only see that continuing to bring spectacular results when you get an even better sense of how our corporation works.”  
Leia tilted her head and pinned Rey with stare that could make kings cower before her.  
“I have faith in you, Rey. You would not think of letting me down, would you?”

Rey swallowed once more as she felt pinned in her chair by that pointed stare.

“No Miss Organa, of course not.”

“Good. At least that’s settled. We will leave on the 20th. I will send you all the specifications via email and give you a list of things you’ll need to take care of before then. We will return on January 4th. I believe that comprises a total of 14 days. If we no longer require your services before that time, you’ll be free to return home at any given time or you are allowed to stay with us for the remainder of the vacation. Of course, you will not be doing this for naught.” She leaned forward and clasped her hands in front of her.

“You will receive an additional bonus for this extra task. An extra month’s pay should cover it I think. Any expenses will be covered, this includes transportation and stay. If there is anything you require extra on this trip, we will be happy to provide it for you. You will of course still receive your Christmas bonus, this is completely unrelated to any regular remunerations.”  
  
Rey’s eyes all but bugged out of her sockets. An extra month’s salary? On top of her Christmas bonus? All expenses covered? This was too good to be true.  
“What’s the catch?” she blurted.

“I’m sorry?” Leia asked, confusion evident in her graceful features.

“I said: what is the catch?” she asked calmly. Where she got the nerve and the attitude to act so cool and collected, she’d never know. “In my experience, Miss Organa, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”

Leia smiled at her. A genuine smile, one that reached her eyes and made her look younger.  
“Nothing escapes your attention, does it?” she murmured approvingly. “It’s not really a catch though.” She got up and walked to stand near the window again, overlooking the Coruscant skyline.  
“My son will be joining us,” she said calmly.

This made Rey’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “And?” she prompted.

Leia looked over at this young woman, so full of potential and drive. Capable of handling anything Leia had thrown at her so far. Would she be able to handle this?  
“Let’s just say my son can be… difficult,” she said cryptically.

Rey returned her quizzical stare. “Define difficult, Miss Organa,” she replied softly.

Leia’s mouth quirked and she seemed lost in thought for a moment.  
“It means that he has a bit of a temper. Some would refer to them as anger issues. But his bark is far worse than his bite, if you ask me.”

“Is that spoken as a woman or as a mother?” The words slipped from her lips before she could stop them. Rey felt her cheeks heat as she watched her employer’s eyebrows shoot up and all but disappear in her hairline. She quickly lowered her eyes in embarrassment.  
“Miss Organa, I apologize, that was…”

“A very good question, indeed.”

Rey looked up from beneath her lashes. Her boss seemed amused by her boldness more than she seemed insulted.

“But I believe that is something you’ll have to figure out on your own,” Leia said and winked. “Now If you’ll excuse me, Rey, I need to gather my notes for the stockholders meeting.”

Rey smiled politely at the answer she had been given and stood.  
“Yes, of course, Miss Organa. If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to call me,” she said and left the office.

The rest of the morning went by in a flash.  
The stockholders meeting seemed to have gone reasonably well. The meeting with the sales team not so much, judging by the frown that marred Leia’s forehead and the way the corners of her mouth drooped as she stormed into her office.

Leia slammed the door shut, the bang reverberating in the hallway. Several people ducked into their cubicles, leaving Rey staring after her usually even-tempered boss in utter confusion.

_I guess I know where her son got his temper from…_

Ten minutes later the telephone rang. On the third ring, Rey picked it up.  
“Skywalker Corporation, Leia Organa’s office.”

A brief silence ensued. Just as Rey was about to repeat herself, a deep male voice sounded on the other end.  
“Yeah, this is Han. Could you tell my wife to move her butt and get down to Kanata’s. I’ve been waiting for the past thirty minutes and they’re threatening to cancel our reservation if I don’t order soon.”

Rey was taken aback a little. Thank God she remembered Leia’s full name in that instant.  
“Of course, Mister Solo. I’ll relay the message right away.”  
Before she had the opportunity to say goodbye, the voice on the other end murmured “Fine” and hung up on her.

Rey pressed the number for Leia’s private line.

“Yes?” came the curt reply.

“Miss Organa, your husband just called. He asked me to remind you of your lunch together. Also, he mentioned the restaurant was about to cancel his reservation if he was unable to order soon.”  
A very unladylike snort sounded across the line.

“I’m sure he said it with a lot less tact than that,” Leia muttered under her breath. “Please call Kanata’s and tell them my meeting ran late, and I’ll be there as soon as possible. Offer them my deepest and sincerest apologies and then tell them I’ll make it up to Maz in person soon.”

Rey could hear the fatigue and weariness in her boss’ voice.

“Yes, Miss Organa,” she replied solemnly. “Would you like me to get you an aspirin before you head out?” she ventured.

A sigh sounded, filled to the brim with relief. “You truly are a Godsend, Rey Kenobi.”

“Happy to be of service, Miss Organa.”

As the call ended, Rey couldn’t fight the smile that curved her lips.  
Her confidence grew as she got up and fetched the aspirin and a glass of cold water.  
Maybe this day would not turn out quite as bad as it had started out…

 

* * *

 

 

Ben Solo was livid.

Not only had he been forced to attend a very early meeting at the main office, but in the presence of not only his mother but of his father and uncle too! His mother had expressed her insane desire to continue their formerly annual tradition of heading to the cottage in Mon Torri for the holidays, like some perverted attempt at becoming a family again.

_Ridiculous._

All his arguments had been swept off the table as if they were invalid. In all fairness, so had Luke’s, and that had to count for something at the end of the day, but still! Han had barely responded, just as he had expected. The man had given up fighting his wife on anything years ago. He went along with any hare-brained scheme she came up with, because it was easier to go with the flow than to be up shit creek without a paddle…

And to make matters worse, some stupid girl had bumped into him, spilling coffee all over his shirt!  
And the fact that said stupid girl happened to be the cutest thing he’d seen in a long time only worsened his already pretty black mood…

So now, he had to travel across town, with a soiled shirt smelling of coffee and… hazelnut? He hoped he still had that spare shirt and vest at the office where he did most of his work.

He was still on Skywalker’s payroll, but he refused to dwell within the corporation’s walls if he could help it. After the fall-out with dear old Uncle Luke, he had no reason to be there day in day out.  
He now had an old abandoned penthouse on the other side of town where he held up the creative end of the business. Nothing fancy or even remotely comfortable. It wasn’t as if he spent that much time there anyway. Just a place where he could focus on what he was supposed to be doing and where he was away from the main building. Not that being in advertising was the kind of job that made his heart soar, but a toned down and regulated form of his art paid the bills. And that was all he could ask for right now.  
  
He arrived there thirty minutes later than usual – traffic was a bitch in December. He stormed into his office and immediately went to search for his other shirt. After finding it with the help of his secretary Phasma, he quickly shrugged into it and got down to business. There was a huge Christmas campaign this year. Sales had gone down the last two semesters and the board was worried that the numbers would decline even more unless they had a solid profit for the holidays. So, Ben had been tasked to design a new advertising line, all dedicated to Christmas. Something that would appeal to customers and would call out to their holiday spirits. Something that would use sentiment as a tool.

Ben hated the very idea. In essence, that was exactly what advertising did; it took advantage of a customer’s emotions and sentiments to make sure that a certain product would sell. Nothing more, nothing less. It was what he was good at. But lately it did nothing but drain him. He felt empty, worn out, and completely without inspiration.

He sat at his drawing board, overlooking the Coruscant skyline and felt absolutely nothing.

He tried his old ways, by meditating and trying to reconnect with his inner artist. He was still in there somewhere. Lately it proved harder and harder. The more he tried, the less it worked. So now he just sat there in front of the large windows and let his mind wander.  
Chaos came first. The hectic hubbub of traffic, the anger of his meeting with his family and their idiotic ideas. But then…

A pair of hauntingly beautiful eyes flashed before him. He remembered their intensity, the sparkle. The varying colors of deep greens and browns, resulting in what they called “hazel”.  The freckles on her rosy cheeks, the dark chessnut color of her hair that peeped from under her beanie.  
A lovely face, one that could inspire him to go back to painting if he had the time for it…

He sighed and turned his attention back to his board.  
And as the mysterious stranger’s beautiful face slowly faded from his mind, a brilliant idea jumped at him. If the board of directors wanted him to prey on the customer’s sense of nostalgia, then that would be exactly what he would give them.

His hand hovered above the drawing board, his electronic pen ready to create. Slow, deliberate strokes soon turned into frantic movements as his inspiration soared.

When he paused to look at the result so far, a slow smile spread across his face.  
A picturesque scene stood out on the smartboard’s surface, something that was very reminiscent of a typical Norman Rockwell painting. It had that same sense of nostalgia and melancholy.

It was perfect.

It would absolutely do for their next advertising campaign. It would spur their customers into buying practically anything they were selling.  
Ben let out a small chuckle and murmured “yes” beneath his breath. He bent over the board again and continued to work on the design.

He worked on these new designs all morning, overcome with a strange sense of fulfillment. He didn’t exactly know where this new burst of inspiration came from, but he had the distinct impression that it had to do with that weird disastrous encounter from earlier this morning.

When he stood back and looked at the poster designs he’d come up with, his suspicion was confirmed. Aside from the traditional red and green and gold, he’d used a remarkable amount of hazel-toned hues.

A half smile graced his lips as he looked to the corner where his coffee stained shirt was soaking in the small sink.

_Thank you_ , he whispered mentally as he picked up his coat and went outside to take a stroll down the block. For a brief moment, he considered going back across town. Perhaps he would bump into the girl again. Who knew what else his twisted mind would come up with then…

 

* * *

 

 

Rey sat on a small bench in the park across the street. She would not usually take her lunch outside, but the circumstances called for it.  
To go with her boss to Mon Torri for the holidays. To get an additional bonus. To not have to be alone for Christmas…

It was a lot to take in.

Anxiety pooled in the pit of her stomach. She just knew this would not be a walk in the park; especially since Leia had mentioned her son had anger issues. And she didn’t know Luke Skywalker personally, but she got the idea that he wouldn’t be an easy man to deal with. After all, as the CEO of a company like Skywalker’s, one would have to be pretty tough. Not something she could identify with, at least not on that level. Foster care toughened you up in a different way. Growing up in the system would shape you completely different than working your way up the ladder. She imagined corporate life at the top would be like swimming with sharks. Although, in all fairness, Luke Skywalker didn’t seem _that_ bad…  

Leia’s husband both looked and sounded a little rough around the edges. But something made Rey smile as she thought of him. His slightly unruly hair, his grainy voice and the blunt honesty she’d glimpsed at when he’d called earlier… She had the feeling she would like him most of all.

She was still a little in the dark about what her exact job would be once they arrived there. She assumed that it would mainly be administrative. After all, that was basically what she was hired to do. But would there be any additional assignments? Would she be staying at a hotel or at the cottage where the family would be? Would she be invited to the family gatherings or would her presence be unwelcome during those private moments?

As she sat there, these thoughts kept racing through her mind at breakneck speed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. Instantly, an intriguing vision appeared before her closed lids.  
Jetblack, shining, wavy hair. Dark eyes with ridiculous long eyelashes, staring into hers with an intensity that could melt the North Pole and leave Santa homeless. Angular features that shouldn’t be attractive but somehow were incredibly appealing. The tall stranger became clearer with every passing second. Rey remembered the dark scowl and the beauty marks. And those incredibly luscious lips…

Her eyes flew open. What was the matter with her???

She didn’t moon over men! Especially not over tall, dark and handsome strangers who cussed at her.  
She never did!

With a deep frown marring her brow, she checked her watch. Her lunchtime was almost up, so she quickly finished her sandwich and brushed off her hands as she stood. She glanced at the skyscraper on the other side of the street, resigning herself to the rest of the day. Her brain would be all over the place, but she would do exactly what she needed to do to make it productive and effective.  
Leia was counting on her.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_December 16 th_

  
Two weeks had passed, and still she hadn’t been able to put the handsome stranger from her mind.   
Nothing had been enough of a distraction to forget the way his eyes glittered with annoyance or the way his hair had seemed softer than silk. To forget how his mouth was pulled down at the corners or the sound of his deep voice. Her dreams kept reminding her of what she was trying to forget during the day.

This was crazy.

Their encounter had not lasted more than two minutes but the impression the man had made was enough to be permanent, it seemed.

That night, as she lay in bed, his face haunted her once more. Those eyes and lips seemed to be burned on the back of her eyelids, impossible to forget.

_Perhaps I should stop trying to forget him so hard. Perhaps, if I allow myself to think about him, I’ll be able to get it out of my system._

Her reasoning was logical, if nothing else.   
So she allowed the memory to manifest and soon the images flashed before her mind’s eye. She imagined what it would have been like if things had only gone slightly different…   
  
_The impact was forceful to say the least.  
Rey looked up and witnessed in shock how her hazelnut frap was splashed all over his shirt, heard in terror how the stranger cussed angrily.   
“I am so sorry, Sir! I was so busy trying not to spill that I…”  
Her voice trailed off as her eyes met his. Shock of a completely different kind ran through her at this new and strange type of impact. His dark gaze connected with hers and she watched in fascination as his annoyance morphed into something warm and alluring. His mouth opened as he drew in a deep breath, seemingly as affected as she was.   
“I…Errr…” he started, and then his own voice trailed off. He laughed softly, the sound delightful music to her ears as she watched a becoming shade of pink taint his cheeks. He shook his head, at an obvious loss for words and Rey could do nothing but stare at him in open admiration as those shiny locks of his moved fluently, shaming even the most artistically staged shampoo commercial.   
“It’s alright. Serves me right for staring at the floor when I walk. I hope you weren’t hurt,” he said, charming and kind and everything a tall, dark, and handsome stranger ought to be. He smiled at her, those luscious lips curving in the most enticing way.   
Rey found herself staring at those lips._  
_“I’m absolutely fine,” she said shyly and smiled up at him. They continued to stare at each other until it became awkward._  
“I should go, I’ll be late for work. Here, hold this for me please?” Rey said reluctantly as she pushed the rapidly cooling hot chocolate in his hands. She reached inside her purse and withdrew a piece of paper and a pencil. She wrote down her name and phone number and handed it to him as she simultaneously reached for the tray.   
“What’s this?” His deep voice sounded so incredibly sultry and it reminded her of tangled sheets and hot summer nights. She fought to hide the blush creeping in her cheeks.   
“It’s my name and number. I expect you to call me, so I can refund you for the dry cleaners,” she said with a smile.   
The stranger frowned at her and then smiled back.   
“Forget about the dry cleaners, you can refund me by taking me out for coffee sometime. Preferably in a real cup, and not on my shirt.” He lifted a single brow as he said these words and her heart rate picked up considerably.   
Try as she might, the blush won this round. It blossomed on her cheeks and she could even feel her ears burn.   
“Sure. Feel free to call me to pick a time and place. Now I have to run. See you around, stranger,” she said with a wink as she entered the building, trying really hard not to look back at the gorgeous man wearing her coffee…

Rey sighed and opened her eyes, feeling both drowsy and wide awake. An oxymoron if ever there was one, but that was exactly how she felt. Frustrated beyond means, she threw off the covers and padded back into the living room.   
She made herself some hot cocoa, went over her to-do-list for the next day again, and watched the lights in her Christmas tree blink as a soft jazzy waltz sounded from her speakers. She found herself lost in thought once more. Her mind immediately wandered to the upcoming trip with Leia. She really needed to talk to her, to find out exactly what would be expected of her. Leia would leave the day before she did, a small change in plans that didn’t affect Rey at all, she’d said. Something about being on the spot to make sure preparations were taken care of properly. Other than that, a ridiculous small amount of details had been discussed so far. Her head was starting to slow down again, thank Goodness!   
And as sleep gently carried her along its calming waves, she was wrapped up in pleasant dreams of a tall, dark and handsome stranger again…


	3. Chapter 3

_December 20 th _

 

Kamino Airways was renowed for its sleek state-of-the-art technology and exquisite service.   
And looking around her, Rey could only attest to that.

From the moment she had arrived at the airport to check in for her very first flight, she had been treated like royalty. The staff had been very polite and professional, and she had been escorted to the gate by a very gentle and glamorous looking flight attendant after she’d confessed being nervous for her first flight. Complimentary gifts had been distributed among the few passengers that had gathered in this exclusive gate. Rey realized that flying another airline would have been vastly different, but Leia had been quite adamant about flying with Kamino. She said it was a matter of company prestige. And since all expenses were on the corporation, why not?

Rey watched in fascination at the busy halls and gates around them, saw plane after plane take off and land on the long strips of the tarmac, saw throngs of people of all ages and races and walks of life as they made their way to the arrival hall and baggage pickup.

When it was their turn to board, Rey got her first real look at an airplane up close and personal.   
It was a sleek silver contraption, the design very modern and cutting edge. It made Rey think it was more like some intricate piece of art, rather than a means of transportation.

That feeling only compounded when she stepped on board.

Opulent didn’t even do justice to the description of the interior.   
Plush velvet upholstery, deep mahogany inlays, large comfortable looking chairs with more than enough room for your legs. A grand bar on one end, a giant bathroom section on the other.   
Rey was shown to her seat by the same flight attendant who had treated her with such courtesy earlier and was immediately offered refreshments.

Rey was having the time of her life, feeling pampered and spoiled, and they hadn’t even taken off yet!

Soon the captain’s voice sounded over the intercom, informing the passengers about things such as the duration of the flight, today’s menu, cocktail suggestions, local weather conditions, and of course the necessary safety instructions. He then went on stating that they were waiting for one more passenger, who was currently at the check-in, and that they would leave as soon as he was on board.

Rey frowned at that. She was pretty sure that sort of treatment was out of the question with more commercial airlines. This guy had to be a pretty big deal to get this kind of privileges.

A few minutes later, a man’s heavy footsteps could be heard on the plane’s floor.   
Rey would not have been surprised one bit if she saw a Tauntaun march down the plane’s corridor.   
She didn’t look up though, not until dark fabric of an obviously expensive and tailored business suit appeared in her line of vision. She looked up from the magazine she was reading and her eyes kept travelling higher and higher.

The man was tall.

And then her gaze connected to his and her jaw dropped.

It was _him_.

The tall, dark, and handsome stranger she had spilled coffee on at Skywalker’s.

She was unable to utter a single coherent word. Heat flashed in her cheeks as she was once again faced with the man who had haunted her dreams for the past three weeks. Recognition shone in his eyes, right along with a tiny spark of surprise or shock. She watched as his expression turned dour again. The corners of his mouth turned down, a scowl started to darken his features.

“Well,” he started, and his voice made goosebumps break out all over her arms and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, “considering how my luck seems to have run out today, I really shouldn’t be surprised to see you here.” He muttered indignantly. “I trust you did not bring your coffee with you this time?” he asked with a lift of his eyebrow as he settled in the seat next to her.

Stunned into silence, Rey could do nothing but stare at him for a moment or two. Unfortunately for her, one thing she had never been able to outlearn from her foster days was her big mouth. It dictated her actions, and since he was acting like a wild boar without manners, it triggered all sorts of reactions in her.

“Well, if I had known you were coming, I would have. I don’t care much for white shirts,” she said with a voice dripping with honey.

He looked up at her in surprise and it amused her greatly. She smiled widely and batted her eyes.   
His mouth turned down again and his entire expression was one of insolence.

“Very amusing,” he quipped dryly. “Perhaps now would be a good time to discuss remunerations. You owe me a shirt. It was completely ruined after you dumped that wretched concoction on it.”

“Wretched concoction?” she asked irritated.

“Yes. If you are going to have coffee, at least drink it the way it was intended. Not like those elaborate and fashionable trendy drinks they try to pawn it off as. My office smelled of hazelnut for several days afterwards.”

Rey couldn’t believe this! The one man she fantasized about and seemingly couldn’t get over, and he turned out to be a complete jerk!

“Let me guess, you don’t like cocktails either? You’re more of a straight-liquor-hold-the-ice type of guy?”

 “Well, actually, yes I am.” He stared at her quizzically. The look in his eyes was so intense, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if a man stared at her like that for seductive reasons.   
When she realized her train of thoughts, she quickly broke eye contact. This was not something she should be thinking about.

“It doesn’t matter,” she stated with a haughty lift of her chin. “I am more than happy to pay for your dry cleaners _and_ offer you a hazelnut frap with whipped cream anytime you’re ready to walk on the wild side.” Her eyes glinted dangerously, the challenge open.

Ben looked at her and fought the urge to smile.

His morning had been nothing less than disastrous. He’d overslept a little, then gotten a call from his mother, then gotten a call from the chairman of the board of directors, who had basically chewed him up and spat him out about an account he had already told them to refuse because the client’s reputation was less than positive. Of course, they hadn’t heeded his warning, and now there was trouble because the client apparently hated everything he’d come up with. He’d almost lost his temper but managed to hold on. Barely. And naturally, after all those phone calls, he was running late, got stuck in traffic and had almost missed his flight. Thank God he’d had the good sense to call the airline and his reputation and link to Skywalker’s had assured him that they would wait a few more minutes.

And now here he was, trying to catch his breath and he ran into _the girl._

So, he was acting like a jackass – his usual MO when he felt shaken or out of his depth – and this girl that had inspired his best work to date just smiled sweetly as she egged him on.   
He liked her.

“Sorry,” he said calmly, “I don’t walk on the wild side unattended.” His gaze bore into hers, and Rey swore he’d inserted a fair amount of innuendo in that one little sentence.

“As you wish,” she murmured under her breath. She reached inside her purse, extracted a piece of paper and a pen and wrote down an address. “This is my address. Have the bill sent there. Now if you’ll excuse me,” she mimicked his tone of voice, sounding very prim and proper British while doing it, “I have work to do.”

She handed him the piece of paper. A strange buzz, almost like an electric current, passed through her as their fingers touched. It was just a very brief moment, but the power in that single movement was enough to take her breath away.

Her eyes found his, surprise evident in those hazel depths. Oddly enough, his barely showed any sign of that same surprise. Instead, she saw nothing there but a strange form of confidence; as if this touch confirmed something he already knew.

Rey quickly withdrew her hand and he nodded in acknowledgement. She then turned in her seat and retrieved a manila folder from her purse. She also took out her iPod and plugged in her earbuds, a clear sign that she wanted to block him out.

Ben couldn’t help but sneak a peek, but neither the plain folder or her expression offered any insights as to who she was or who she worked for. Or what she was listening to.

He released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and signaled the flight attendant.   
He asked for a cup of coffee – black! – with a shot of whiskey.   
The way his morning had been going, he figured he deserved as much. He copied the girl’s tactic and pulled his sketchbook from his briefcase. It was a four-hour flight to Mon Torri. He could use the time to his benefit. The more work he got done now, the less his mother and Luke would be breathing down his neck.

When his coffee arrived, the girl obviously noticed. His focus was briefly broken by both the arrival of the flight attendant as the sound that came from his right.

She chuckled.

The sound was delicate, soft as sleigh bells.

 _Hell, I’m even thinking in Christmas terms_ Ben mused befuddled.

He gave her his best impression of a scowl, took a sip of his coffee – which was too hot and resulted in a scalded tongue, which he would never admit to. He then proceeded to work on his next project. This was a design for the new line of high-end technology they would be selling in local branches and directly to large firms. It required a special approach, one very different from the other designs like home appliances or home decoration and improvement.

  
No, this needed something special. He’d already wasted several sheets of paper on this particular subject. Nothing seemed good enough. As he tore off another sheet and balled it up in frustration, he heard a heavy sigh. He looked up and the girl was staring at him. Sympathetically.

“Having a rough time?” she asked softly.

What surprised him most was that there wasn’t a shred of smugness in her expression. Her eyes were kind. Which always made him wary. If there was anything he’d learned in life, it was that people never ever did anything that didn’t benefit them one way or another.

_What’s her catch?_

“Like I said, I’ve been having a rough day so far.”

His voice was less than kind, but he couldn’t help it. He saw something flicker in her eyes and then witnessed her facial expressions school themselves in polite and distant.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything I could do to assist?”

Ben looked at her and lifted an eyebrow. “Why would you ask?” he bit out rather blunt. She countered with her own lifted eyebrow and a skeptical look.

“I’m a personal assistant, Sir. It’s what I do. But I can see that my services are neither wanted nor appreciated. I’ll refrain from troubling you any further.” She then turned back to her folder and her notepad and plugged in her earbuds again.

For some strange reason, he felt terribly wronged. Deprived of her attention, he felt angry at the way she seemed unfair somehow. Which was stupid, because she really wasn’t. He’d sounded like a prick. But he was too damned stubborn to either continue the conversation and explain that he had simply meant it to be a real question or to apologize for his behavior. So he just gave her another long stare that would have made anyone else uncomfortable or squirm, but this slip of a girl simply continued to ignore him as if he weren’t there at all.

It was unnerving, and he had to admit he was impressed.

The rest of the flight went by without another word. They simply sat beside each other. He did notice that she seemed quite enthralled with the scenery outside her window.

_Could this be her first flight?_

At one point, the girl fell asleep and he found himself studying her once more. It also offered the opportunity for a little self-reflection. How could he not have introduced himself? At least he would have known the name of what had turned out to be his new muse.

He couldn’t help but soften slightly as he looked down on her slouched form. She had instinctively curled up on the seat, slipping off her heels and folding her feet beneath her. Her features were even more delicate in sleep. That brow that always seemed furrowed when she looked at him was now relaxed. Her mouth curved up slightly, making him feel like smiling himself.

So, he did what he supposed any artist would. He selected a new fresh page in his sketchbook and started to draw her.

He took the utmost care to make sure her beautiful face was as close to reality as possible. To include every freckle on that pert little nose, to capture every delicate eyelash and every glossy hair on her head. But he had to make sure to be fast too, lest she wake up and accuse him of stalking her.   
When he finished, he didn’t fight the smile anymore. It manifested broadly on his face, changing his entire appearance. Not that she’d ever know.

He felt disconcerted briefly. Almost mourning the fact that she didn’t know him but already seemed to hate his guts. Most people did, except for Armitage and Phasma. But it had never bothered him like now. The thought immediately wiped out the smile he’d worn, replacing it with his ever-present scowl again.

  
He tried to focus on work again, but of course that didn’t pan out as he’d hoped.   
The girl awoke and immediately went back to ignoring him after a momentary flit of embarrassment.   
Not ten minutes after that, the captain informed the passengers that they were about to start the descent. This resulted in the usual mild chaos that came with descending and exiting a plane.   
He did do the gentlemanly thing and helped her by taking out her overhead luggage. She mumbled a “thank you” and then lit out as if the devil was on her heels.

Of course, they kept bumping into each other.   
As they were exiting the plane. As they were waiting for the shuttle. As they were waiting for their luggage. And of course, they ended up standing right next to each other in the arrivals hall as they were looking for the driver that would take them to the cabin.

Ben was starting to get pretty frustrated. The girl was extremely good at ignoring people. She kept looking anywhere but him and if it was impossible, she seemed to glare straight through him.   
Never in his life – not even growing up with Leia and Han for parents – had he ever felt this invisible. It was excruciatingly irritating.

To prove that this was not his lucky day, an airline worker approached him to tell him that the car that was supposed to pick him up had had technical difficulties, and therefore wasn’t here on time.   
They were doing whatever they could to arrange another car, but with the holiday season most options were already taken.

He let out a frustrated groan and shoved his hands through his hair as he muttered some expletives under his breath.

 _How can this be happening?_ _What did I do to deserve this?_

He’d known this trip was doomed. He’d anticipated it from the very minute Leia had mentioned it. He closed his eyes and counted to ten and when that didn’t help, he started over.   
So much for his holiday spirit….

Rey stood in the large arrivals hall and couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between the airline steward and Mr Tall, Dark, and Handsome. She’d been trying really hard to ignore him as much as she could, but let’s face it: a presence like that – heck, a fine specimen of a man like that – was hard to ignore completely.

The man really seemed to be having a rough day. He even looked weary. Bags were starting to form under those piercing dark eyes, his hair was slightly disheveled from running his hands through them repeatedly, and his mouth was drooping as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. And no matter how much the man’s less than pleasant demeanor was, it was Christmas. He was probably just trying to get home to his family.   
  
She’d also heard he was headed out the same way as she was. Her heart softened and before she knew what was going on, words started tumbling from her mouth.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help but overhear that your car had trouble. You’re headed out to Mon Torri? So am I. Perhaps I could convince my chauffeur to drop you off?”

His eyes opened, and his head turned so fast that it was almost comical.

“Excuse me?” he muttered, lifting a single brow.

She swallowed as that intense stare was directed at her once again. She attempted a smile, one she was sure came off as awkward and apologetic.

“I just offered to share my transportation with you,” she said slowly, already questioning her reasoning as she watched his eyebrows draw together in a frown. “You are more than welcome to decline if you wish. I’m sure someone will come up with a solution soon,” she spoke with a more than fair amount of harshness. But dammit, the man was acting as if she had decided to be the bane of his existence.

His eyebrows shot up at that. His hand moved in a wavy gesture as he responded.

“No, no, that wasn’t… I didn’t mean to… I mean…”

Said hand was roughly shoved in his hair again. Good thing he had a full head of very luscious hair, because a lesser man would turn himself bald that way.

He took a deep fortifying breath and let it out in a slow, long exhale. He made a wry face and then made an attempt at what she imagined had to be a smile.

“I mean, that is very generous of you. And considering how my day is going so far, I don’t expect them to find me another solution any time soon. And if I don’t show up on time, my mother will most likely kill me. Preferably very slowly.”

 _Was that a joke?_ she thought. She mentally raised her eyebrows in surprise, but in reality didn’t even twitch a muscle.

“Well, if you are sure, then I’ll go inform my chauffeur of our slightly altered plans. Excuse me.”   
She walked away to where a man in a suit was holding up a sign with “Miss Kenobi”. They quickly exchanged a few words and the man simply nodded. Rey looked back and caught Mr Tall, Dark, and Brooding staring at her ass, or so it seemed.

 _Did he really just look at my ass?_ She thought, but chose to ignore it, although it sent a tiny sliver of pleasure down her spine.

She motioned him forward and allowed the chauffeur to take her suitcase. He escorted the two of them outside, where a very luxurious car was waiting for them. The chauffeur and the stranger made quick work of loading the luggage in the trunk.   
The stranger then displayed his second act of courtesy, opening the door for her. She quickly got in and settled back against the leather seat as he rounded the car and let the chauffeur open his.

As he too settled against the seat, he let out a small groan. The sound made her blush, not surprising at all considering all the fantasies she’d had of him. He looked up at her then and spoke in a weary voice.

“I don’t believe we have ever been properly introduced, have we?

The question made her smile.

“No, I don’t believe we have,” she said softly. Her eyes glittered with amusement. “I’m Rey. Rey Kenobi,” she said as she held out her hand.

He took it and the simple touch made her breath hitch.

“I’m Ben. Ben Solo. Pleased to meet you.”

 

Rey’s smile faltered slightly when his words sunk in.

_Ben Solo. As in Han Solo?_ _As in Leia Skywalker Organa-Solo?_

She was about to say something when the driver spoke up.

“Where to, Sir?”

Ben turned his attention away from her, taking slightly longer than necessary to release her hand.  
“I need to get to Alderaan Cottage. Do you know where that is?” he asked.

The chauffeur let out a little chuckle, then looked back into his rearview mirror.   
“Looks like there won’t be an issue after all, he Miss?” he said, sounding very amused.

Ben frowned and turned back to her.

“What does he mean by that?”

By looking at him, she just knew he was already suspecting something. After all, he seemed very intelligent so far.

“It seems, Mr Solo, that you and I have the same destination.” She watched as his eyebrows shot up in surprise and immediately lowered in a menacing scowl.

“I beg your pardon?” he all but growled. Instead of making her feel scared or threatened, the sound actually elicited goosebumps and made heat pool in her womb. Her reaction made her blush, but she continued coolly.

“Perhaps, I should elaborate,” she started. “I work for Leia Skywalker Organa-Solo. I am her personal assistant, accompanying her on this trip so she’ll have more time for family engagements. And I now have reason to believe that you are her son?”

She should be proud at the professional tone she held. However, the way this man was staring at her, she should be shivering in her boots. Or in her case, very inappropriate heels considering the amounts of snow around them.

“You cannot be serious?” he muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes and seemed to be counting to ten.

“Are you alright?” she inquired softly. He’d paled considerably, and he didn’t exactly have a healthy complexion to start out with.

“About as well as I can be expected right now,” he said with a wry grin as he turned to stare out the window.

“Well, as it turns out, this is actually a good thing. At least it saves you from slowly being killed.”  
  
He looked at her. _Was that a joke?_

“Oh, I wouldn’t count on it. Knowing Leia, she’ll probably have ample opportunity to do it anyway.”

Rey frowned at his response. Why would he call his mother by her first name? She tried to lighten the suddenly darkened mood.

“Oh, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

He pinned her with a very cool, intense stare.

“You don’t know my mother very well, do you?”

Rey frowned once more. Whatever it was, they didn’t seem like a happy family. She could see a lot of tension and awkwardness hanging in the air.

_No wonder Leia offered me so much money._

“I know her well enough,” she quipped defensively, earning a cocky smirk from him.

“You do?” he said as he leaned towards her a little and searched her face. “Ah, you do.”

His voice sent shivers down her spine, the sound so low and intimate it immediately made her remember some of her more… sensual dreams.

“If you say so,” he continued. “Just don’t let the wrapper fool you. She’s not always what she seems.”

Rey immediately felt her hackles rise. Who did this pompous ass think he was anyway? He obviously didn’t get along with his mother, but as far as she could tell, that was _his_ problem. She had found nothing in Leia that made her seem distrustful or disagreeable.

“And I suggest you take your own advice,” she said haughtily. She returned her attention to the window and resumed the same tactic she had used on the plane.

_Ignoring him._

Ben felt his anger surge again at her treatment. Despite the fact that he had basically been ignored and abandoned for most of his life, it somehow seemed harsher coming from this slip of a girl.   
Would it change her point of view if he told her some of the Skywalker’s dirty laundry? Then again, what was the use? It didn’t matter anyway. Did it?

The drive to the cottage took about forty minutes. It was situated at the foot of a large mountain, on a small rise overlooking the town, which was as picturesque and beautiful as they came.   
But it was nothing Rey could ever have imagined. It was no cottage! Nor a chalet or a cabin or any of those belittling things.

It was an estate!

A huge, white, three-story stone house with a large wrap-around porch and enormous windows stood amidst manicured gardens, complete with a circular driveway and ice sculptures. Christmas lights were strung along the edges of the gingerbread trimming, and there was a grand Christmas tree in the middle of the circular lawn in front. Wreaths and floral arrangements were everywhere.   
It was the quintessential scene for a magazine cover.

It was a dream come true.

Her sharp intake of breath as the house came into sight had Ben look over at her. The look on her face made his heart squeeze.

She seemed completely awestruck, as if she had never seen anything like it in her life. Almost childlike wonder shone in her hazel eyes – the color seemed ingrained in his mind – and he wished for the umpteenth time during that ride that they hadn’t argued. He almost apologized.  
  _Almost_.   
But seeing her like this made the corners of his mouth tilt upward slightly.

“Welcome to Alderaan Cottage,” he said softly.

Her wide eyes flew to his and he felt her happiness course through him, right down to his toes.   
She smiled so brilliantly it almost hurt his eyes.

“It’s beautiful!”

He chuckled. “It is that.”

She turned to him with wide eyes.   
  
“But Leia got one thing wrong though. This isn’t exactly a cottage.”

Ben chuckled again.

“No, it is not,” he said quietly. “It belonged to Leia’s adoptive father, Bail Organa. He was originally from Alderaan, until the local government destroyed the town and the people were either killed or exiled. He came to Coruscant, worked very hard, and became a very successful entrepreneur. He then bought a piece of land here and built a cottage. A holiday home, nothing fancy. But with every passing year his success grew. And because of that, so did the cottage. When he passed, Leia continued the tradition. She adds something every year, although she usually limits herself to the gardens or interior decorating. The place is big enough as it is.”  
  
Rey looked at him with surprise on her face. “I didn’t know that. It sounds like an absolutely lovely story. A wonderful tradition.”

She was a little wistful as she looked outside again. What would it be like to have such roots? To have a place reflect your belonging in such a tangible way? It had to be wonderful.   
She looked up at this man next to her and frowned. He didn’t seem overly invested in the family’s legacy. He had recounted the story as something for a trivia quiz.

“What would you add?” she asked him, her head tilted slightly and her eyes full of curiosity.

He looked at her with alarm and surprise reflecting in those dark eyes of his. Should he tell her? Or be vague? Something compelled him to stay true.

“I would add an art gallery.”

Rey blinked at his ready answer. “An art gallery?” she asked, sounding slightly confused.

“Yes, an art gallery. Does that surprise you?” He spoke deliberately calmly, lest his true emotions show.

“Actually, yes, it does. I would never have pegged you for an art lover,” she said with a chuckle.

The car had drawn to a full stop in the circular driveway. The chauffeur had exited the car and came around to help Rey out of it. The chilly wind and snowflakes drifting in the cold air hit her like a brick wall. She hadn’t thought her travel outfit through.

Ben also got out of the car and rounded it just as Leia opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. The sight instantly soured his mood again, the short reprieve the girl had given him from his anger vanishing into thin air.   
He looked at Rey and saw her shivering. Which wasn’t a surprise really. She wore a sensible black dress with a high neckline, a simple woolen coat and high heels. And in all honesty, he really couldn’t help himself. The words just escaped.

“You knew you were coming to Mon Torri, a very famous ski resort, and that is the outfit you decided on?”

She gave him a withering look. How could she have forgotten for even one minute what a gigantic jerk he was?

“It’s not as if I am hitting the slopes in this dress.”

She turned her back and sashayed said dress towards Leia. Ben tried not to notice how enticing her behind swayed as she walked up the few steps leading up the porch.

“Rey! Welcome to Alderaan Cottage!” Leia greeted her warmly. Before Rey even knew what was happening, Leia’s arms came around her in a big hug. Rey’s eyes misted over, unprepared for this kind of welcome. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision, hoping to high heaven that her employer didn’t notice.

“Hello Miss Organa,” she responded timidly.

“I hope you had a nice flight,” Leia started.

Ben had come up the steps with the stealth of a cat, something Rey hadn’t know a man of his size was capable of. Leia noticed him then. Something shimmered briefly in her eyes, but Rey didn’t have enough time to determine what it was.

“Ben!” she exclaimed in surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you this soon,” she said coolly.

“Hello mother. I can only imagine your dismay at my early presence,” he replied in kind.

“For Maker’s sake, I’m merely surprised, Ben. Let us not set a bad example in front of Rey, when she hasn’t even had the chance to get inside the house. I’m sure she’s had to endure enough already.”

Rey could only stand there and watch as these two bickered with seemingly little affection for each other.

“She only got as good as she gave, Mother.”

Leia only responded by giving him a chilly look and lifting a single, delicate eyebrow.   
Rey frowned at this frigid display, especially considering her own warm welcome. And this was her boss’s son. Her own blood. It was quite disturbing.

As Rey stood there observing, she suddenly understood why Ben had seemed so incredibly familiar.   
She could definitely see the resemblance now. He had his mother’s coloring and dark smoldering eyes, and his father’s rugged good looks.

Leia lifted her chin and tilted her head slightly as she addressed them both.

“Well, let’s not keep standing outside. We’re letting all the heat out. Rey, come with me,” she said as she linked her arm with Rey’s, “I will show you to your room.” She turned her head back towards the car and yelled out to the driver. “Stanley, please bring the luggage inside. Then you’re free to retire for the day. Give my best to Doris.”

 

 

 

Leia quickly ushered Rey inside the house and left Ben to fend for himself.   
He stumbled into the house after the women, shaking his head. He hated being here already.   
And seeing how his mother had welcomed him, it was going to be two long weeks….

Rey was taken upstairs, where a room was appointed to her.   
Never in her life had she been in such luxurious quarters. The bedroom was double the size of her entire apartment. The en-suite bathroom alone rivaled her home in sheer size.   
It was both elating and intimidating.   
One of the staff had brought up her luggage in the meantime and put them just inside the room.

Leia took the time to explain where she could find things such as extra pillows and throws, how the extremely high-tech shower stall worked, what to do when she had a craving in the middle of the night….

 _So this is the life of the rich and famous,_ she thought quietly.

This was way more than she had expected.

When Leia had briefed her earlier that week, Rey had assumed that the cottage or cabin Leia had been referring to had been… well… a cabin. A little wooden structure in the woods with little more than running water and electricity at best. Perhaps an internet connection at most.

But this… This was another display of wealth, one way beyond her grasp.

Leia looked around the room once more, to double check if she hadn’t forgotten anything.   
“There, I think I explained everything,” she said with a sigh. She then looked at Rey with a sympathetic expression.

“Are you alright, Rey?” she inquired softly. “If I had known my son would be on that plane, I would never have booked you on the same flight…” she started, but Rey interrupted her.

“Miss Organa, please,” she said as she lifted her hands. “It really wasn’t quite as unbearable as I had anticipated. And as someone who always looks on the bright side: sharing that flight resulted in the two of us sharing a car, ensuring that your son arrived here on time, as expected. That is a positive turn of events, I’m sure.”

Rey paid extra attention to her boss’s expression. Leia became very closed off, very distant and evidently stressed. So Rey took a deep breath and gave Leia an encouraging smile.

“Now!” she exclaimed happily, “What would you like me to do first?”

Leia’s shoulders visibly relaxed and she even chuckled softly.   
“I want you to unpack and relax this evening. We can get to work tomorrow, but for today, all you need to do is settle in. We’ll all have supper in the main dining room at eight. That’s the only event on the schedule today. Tomorrow, breakfast is at eight o’clock, we begin to work at nine. Will that work for you?”

Rey smiled once more, feeling deeply moved by Leia’s obvious attempts at trying to make her feel at home.

“I am flexible, Miss Organa. I will be ready whenever you need me,” she said with a lilt in her voice.

Leia laughed at that. “Be careful, Rey. I might take you up on that…” she trailed off with a twinkle in her eyes. They crinkled at the corners and Rey was instantly reminded of a sullen, brooding man who had only smiled at her once or twice. But his eyes crinkled in the same way.

“You are more than welcome to, Miss Organa,” she replied sweetly.

“Just one thing, Rey,” Leia said sternly as she lifted a finger. “I know I asked you here to work for me, but you are still a guest in my home. Therefore, I would prefer it immensely if you call me Leia.”

Rey’s eyes grew wide, but she had the good sense to respond appropriately.

“As you wish, Leia.”

“Good! Now get settled in, and I’ll see you at eight,” Leia said and left the room.

Rey took a deep breath and looked around the room. Her home for the next two weeks.   
Anxiety pooled in the pit of her stomach again. Something was up. She was sure of it!   
She sighed with resignation. It wouldn’t do to worry about it now. She would just have to take things as they came. She turned to where her luggage was and started unpacking with a deepening sense of determination.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

_December 21 st _

 

The next morning started off easily enough.   
Rey woke up on time, took a shower, and got ready. She went downstairs and had breakfast with Leia. No one else was in the room. Han and Luke were still in Coruscant, taking care of business. Leia said that they would be arriving later tonight.

At nine sharp, they went to work in an office that took Rey’s breath away. It reminded her of the library scene from Beauty and the Beast. Together they worked on several dossiers, making sure all the administration was handled in a correct and timely fashion.

Around noon, Leia insisted they have their lunch in the smaller dining room, one that was intended for daily use. It was like going out to dine. A chef – Rey believed the tiny man’s name was Yoda but he reminded her of Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid – asked them what they wanted to eat. Leia settled on chicken alfredo and Rey told him that she would eat whatever he decided to feed her. He harrumphed and left, muttering under his breath all the way back to the kitchen.

When he came back with the food, Rey was more than pleasantly surprised.   
Yoda had prepared her an Asian inspired dish with baby vegetables, delicate tenderloin and fresh rice noodles. She closed her eyes and thanked whatever heavenly Force that ruled the universe that it had blessed her with this job and this trip. She ate until she felt she would explode and after that, they returned to the office.

Halfway through the afternoon, Luke and Han arrived. Their arrival caused quite a buzz. Suddenly, there seemed to be a lot more life in the house.  They all stood in the hallway and Leia introduced Rey to her brother and husband.

“Luke, Han, this is Rey Kenobi, my personal assistant. Rey, this is Luke Skywalker, my brother, and Han Solo, my husband.”

Han just nodded and muttered a very informal ‘Hey’.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” she spoke softly.

“So you’re Leia’s new PA,” Luke said with a tilt of his head. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you. My sister says she wouldn’t know what to do without you anymore.” There was something in his eyes that made Rey narrow her own. He was testing her, she was sure of it.

“I’m sure she would find a way to do whatever she felt like doing, Mr Skywalker. She’s tenacious and inspiring that way, and I’m very grateful that I get to work with her on this level.”

Luke smiled at her and gave her a wink as he said: “I’m sure that works both ways. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here.”

And just like that she felt like she had passed the test with flying colors. They made some more small talk, discussing the flight and the weather. They were about to wrap up when the front door suddenly burst open.

Ben Solo stood in the doorway, facing his worst nightmare. He had dreaded this moment from the very first second Leia had told him they were spending the holidays in the cottage. He tried to away stay from his family as much as possible, but right now it was inevitable.   
So here he stood, in the middle of the doorway, with snowflakes melting in his hair, dripping into his eyes as silence fell over his family. _And the girl…_

His eyes met hers and he felt his body respond instantly. She was wearing navy slacks and a white wooly sweater with a beaded lacy collar. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and damned if it wasn’t a sight for sore eyes. It made him scowl.

He slammed the front door louder than he meant to, but it made the assembly jump. He took little satisfaction in it. He gave them a long stare, then nodded curtly, mumbled something that sounded like “Goodevening” or “Goodafternoon” or something like it and then stalked out of the hallway.   
Just before he managed his escape, his mother’s voice rang out.

“Ben?”

He stopped, drew in a fortifying breath and turned. “Yes, Mother?” he asked, with obvious irritation in his voice.

“I expect you downstairs for supper tonight at six.”

It was a demand, not a question. He knew it would brook no argument. He let his eyes roam over his mother, his father, and his uncle with obvious contempt.

“As you wish, Mother.”

With that, he exited the hallway and headed for the kitchen.

Rey was left staring after him with confusion seeping into her bones. Something told her this dark brooding man was a lot more complex than they gave him credit. She had glimpsed a different side of him yesterday. During the drive over from the airport, he had even seemed gentle and sweet for a few moments.

_Before he turned back into an arrogant jerk, of course._

“Never mind him, Rey.” Luke’s voice broke the silent tension. “He’s got a serious bee up his bonnet. Nothing that concerns you, however. He’ll behave…” The older man seemed to look for an appropriate word for a few seconds, “cordially, if need be.”

Rey had to be quick on her thinking. She had the distinct impression that, whatever bothered Ben Solo, it had to do with his uncle more than anyone else.

“Don’t worry, Mr Skywalker. I’m quite used to handling delicate situations.”

The man smiled as if he knew a secret he wasn’t privy to share with her. After a little more small talk, the men excused themselves to get settled in and Leia and Rey returned to the office for the final stretch.

“There, I do believe that was the last of it for today,” Leia said as she closed a large manila folder and put it away in her briefcase. “That leaves us plenty of time to freshen up before supper.”

Rey smiled at Leia and sent a silent prayer of relief to whatever heavenly Force that be. Today had been grueling. Of course, she couldn’t blame Leia for wanting to get as much done before Christmas Eve. The Holidays weren’t supposed to be about work.

“Alright.” Something made Rey hesitate.

“Is something wrong, Rey?” Leia spoke softly.

Rey looked up from underneath her lashes and saw nothing but empathy in the woman’s wise eyes.   
She cleared her throat.

“Actually, Leia, there is something,” she said quietly. She averted her gaze again, unable to look Leia in the eye. “I am not used to being around other people outside of a work environment. I’m what one might call a loner.”

She bit her lower lip, wondering if she was doing the right thing by opening up this particular can of worms. She decided to just get it all in the open, to clear the air so to speak.

“I can honestly say that I don’t know what is expected of me. I was asked to come along for this trip for business reasons, but I…” Leia interrupted her.

“Rey, let me stop you right there,” she said sternly, holding up her hand. “I did invite you here for work related reasons. However, that does not change the fact that I consider you my guest. During the day, I am paying you to be my personal assistant and to help me with my administration. The same nine to five as you would back home in Coruscant. But after five pm, you’re off the clock and you are my guest. You get to spend your free time as you wish.  I would like it if you were to share our meals as a guest and to celebrate the holidays with us, but only if that is what you want.”

Leia crossed the distance between them as she spoke and ended by taking Rey’s hands in her own, a motherly gesture that brought the sting of tears with it.

“Rey, I don’t want you to feel left out, nor do I want you to feel pressured in any way. I want you to feel at home here.”

Rey looked up, her eyes big and luminous. Leia’s big smile made her own lips curl up.

“I appreciate it, Leia. Thank you.”

“Good!” Leia said briskly. “Now let’s go upstairs and freshen up or we won’t have time left.”

The women closed the office door and went their own way.   


 

The evening meal was strained to say the least.

Luke and Leia spent most of the evening talking. Han was quiet and surly, sipping his wine - fine Corellian, if Rey was right – and only speaking when asked a direct question. Rey didn’t know how to act. She wasn’t socially inept, just shy at first. So, she only spoke when spoken to and quietly enjoyed her food as she observed the people around her.

Ben Solo was a mystery.   
He sat there, much like his father. Sullen, surly, brooding. He spoke when an answer could not be given by glaring. He was obviously very ill at ease and paying the food a ridiculous amount of attention, barely looking up from his plate.

She felt his eyes on her every now and then, and every time it astonished her just how intense his gaze could be. It took her breath away. Dark, mysterious, intelligent, and with the ability to see right through her, it seemed.

“And of course, the meal is all planned. I trust you men have brought your tuxedoes. Rey, dear?” Leia’s voice interrupted her train of thought and she felt a blush creep up as she was ‘caught’ staring at Ben.

“Yes, Leia?”

“I forgot to mention this when we were still in Coruscant. One of our family traditions is that we dress in formal wear for our Christmas Eve party. Therefore, I assume you did not bring any,” Leia said with her eyebrows raised.

Three pairs of eyes glanced briefly at Leia before settling on her. Rey couldn’t help the mortification blossom even further as her eyes widened.

“No, I did not,” she said as a million thoughts raced through her mind. Where in the world was she going to get a formal dress, three days before Christmas?

“I figured as much. It’s my fault really, I should have mentioned it sooner. I hope you don’t mind, I have taken the liberty to make an appointment at a shop in Mon Torri. A friend of mine runs it, and I’m sure she’ll have something spectacular up her sleeve. She is expecting us there tomorrow afternoon. We’ll all make a day of it as we’ll do our Christmas shopping. Which reminds me, should we do a Secret Santa this year or just get everyone gifts?”

Rey didn’t really know how to respond. She’d never done this sort of thing before. Not really. Not since she had left the system, and even before that, her Christmas’s had always sucked.

“I think we should get everyone gifts this year.” Luke put his two bits in. “I’m feeling the Christmas Spirit a little extra this year,” he said cryptically.

Ben snorted as he toyed with the corner of his napkin, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Do you have anything to say, Ben?” Leia snapped.

He brought his eyes to hers. A great amount of rebellion shone in them.

“No Mother. Of course not,” he said, his voice dripping with arrogance and faux submission. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Leia narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips in a very similar manner as her son did, showing her obvious disapproval.

“Good. I would appreciate it if you joined us tomorrow.”

Ben’s features mimicked his mother subconsciously by pursing his own lips, glaring at the woman who had given him life.

“I have things planned for tomorrow.”

“Really? I can only imagine. But your presence is required.” Her tone was brisk and did not allow for arguments.

The young man pursed his lips again in the most adorable way Rey had ever seen. He then nodded grimly, finished his coffee and excused himself.

Rey could feel the tension grow thicker with every passing second.  She decided to act. She spoke as Ben was about to round the table.

“If you would all excuse me as well. It’s been a long day and I seem to be adjusting poorly to the clear mountain air.” She smiled apologetically.

“Of course, dear. Goodnight,” Leia responded gently, and Rey was surprised as Ben came to stand behind her chair. As her startled gaze met his aloof one, her breath hitched. Those dark eyes were boring into hers with an intensity that could rival an all-consuming fire.

“Allow me,” he spoke in a low voice that made her spine tingle. He drew back her chair and she somehow found the strength to get up without falling flat on her face. She swallowed hard as she looked up at him again. Why was he so tall? He towered over her, but instead of feeling intimidated she felt… safe.

“Thank you,” she murmured, and their eyes held a second too long. Cheeks blushing, she turned to the rest of the table to wish them goodnight. Then both she and Ben started for the hallway. As they started up the stairs together, a comfortable silence settled around the two of them.

When they reached the upstairs hallway, he turned down the same corridor as she. Their eyes met in surprise.

“Your room is in this wing?” he asked bluntly.

Her first reaction was to want to defend herself, but then she realized that he probably didn’t mean it quite as attacking as he sounded.

“Yes, it is,” she said calmly. “Second door on the right.”

She watched him swallow and she was fascinated by the movement of his Adam’s apple.

“In that case, we’re neighbors,” he said without a single trace of humor. “Mine’s the second on the left.”

Rey’s mouth formed a perfect O. Then she blushed and smiled.

“In that case,” she said, mimicking his words, “we’ll probably be bumping into each other sometime.”

He then did something unexpected.

_He laughed._

With eyes twinkling with merit, he stared down at her with the warmest look she’d ever seen on him.

“As long as you’re not holding hot coffee, we’ll be just fine.”

His words made her blush, knowing full well that he had good reason to keep throwing that in her face.

“I told you before that I am more than willing to pay for your shirt.”

“Ah yes, I remember you telling me that,” he said under his breath, but his eyes were still twinkling with mischief. “Perhaps you can buy me one for Christmas tomorrow when we’re in town and we’ll call it even.”

She swallowed. This playful banter was the farthest of her expectations when it came to him. Caught off guard, she ducked her head and nodded.

“I believe that is a fair suggestion. I’ll even let you pick which one. As long as it’s not white...”

He laughed again. “As you wish,” he said with an inclination of his head.

“Well, goodnight then,” Rey said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Goodnight.”

There was so much inserted in that one word that her gaze flew up and connected with his. And she found herself lost in those near-black depths. She managed a weak smile and turned, stepping into her room and closing the door without looking back. When it closed with a loud click, she leaned her forehead against the door’s cool surface.

The man was a mystery.

A total enigma.

_A contradiction._

He was cold as ice one moment, aloof and unresponsive. But then he seemed warm and kind and gentle in the next. He was both fire and ice and for some strange reason, she wanted to know what made him tick.

She showered, brushed her teeth, and dressed for bed in her candy cane onesie. She watched ‘It’s a wonderful life’ on her tablet and sniffled as she always did. And as she slowly drifted off to sleep, snuggled deep and warm in her comforter, she dreamed of the perfect shirt for a tall, dark and handsome no-longer-a-stranger.


	5. Chapter 5

_December 22 nd _

The morning came soon, and it was glorious.   
The sun rose low over the mountains, casting a soft yellow and pinkish glow across the snow, making it gleam and shimmer like a million diamonds.

Rey didn’t feel like getting up, she was tucked into her warm covers and she hadn’t slept this well in weeks. But she had a job to do. Still, she couldn’t help but linger a little.   
When she couldn’t stall any longer, she sighed and threw back her duvet. Reluctantly, she padded over to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready for the day. Soon, she was dressed in a simple pair of slacks and a soft baby-blue fake cashmere sweater.

As she stepped outside of her room, the door across the hallway opened too. Ben stepped out and seemed as surprised as her.

He looked so unbelievably cute for some strange reason, she couldn’t help but sigh softly in appreciation. He wore all black – what a surprise! – and his hair looked as if he had done nothing more but comb his fingers through them. The black slacks and black turtleneck made him look even taller than usual. His eyes were slightly puffy, his lips were pouting, and his ears were sticking out from under that glorious crop of hair. And she just wanted to walk up to him and snuggle in his arms.   
The thought caught her by surprise. She usually didn’t want to cuddle with men. Or anyone for that matter.

“Goodmorning Rey,” he said, sounding as if he’d swallowed a fistful of sand. It made her smile.

“Goodmorning Ben,” she replied cheerfully. “I hope you slept well?”

He stared at her as if she had asked him if he liked to run around the house naked.

“Not really. Then again, I never sleep well, so relatively speaking, I guess I did.” He spoke softly and the combination with the roughness of his voice made it feel ridiculously intimate. Rey swallowed and ignored the strange sensation in her stomach.

“In that case, I hope you’ll soon sleep better,” she said with a big smile. “I should get downstairs. I’m running late for breakfast and I’m sure your mother won’t appreciate that.”

He snorted, making her frown at him.

“I wouldn’t worry about my mother. For some reason, she really likes you. So you could probably get away with murder.”

_For some reason???_

Rey’s eyebrows shot up and his words irked her. Again, that old self-defense-mechanism acted up immediately.

“Yes, well, thank the Maker. Lord knows I feel like committing one every now and then. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She gave him a snarky look and then turned around and stalked down the hallway.

Ben was left staring after her in confusion. What in the world had he done wrong this time?

Shaking his head, he trailed after her at a much slower pace, not interested in catching up with her.   
When he arrived at the kitchen, he was surprised to see the entire family and Rey there instead of in the dining room. They were chatting up a storm and laughing, and as soon as they noticed him, silence descended.

He nodded and murmured something that might have been good morning, then immediately went to the cupboards. He took down a bowl, filled it with cereals and milk, and ate it standing at the corner.

“Cereals for breakfast?” Luke said with a sneer. “What are you, ten?” He laughed, and the rest of the assembly stared at Ben, obviously uncomfortable.

Rey couldn’t help her rebellious heart any more than she could help her temper. She would never tolerate any kind of bullying. No matter who it came from.

“Actually, Mr Skywalker, an extensive study conducted early last year by the University of Endor has concluded that having a breakfast with cereals is actually far better than most other breakfast products available on today’s market. They contain a large number of vitamins and minerals and provide the body with some very essential fibers.”

Everyone stared at her now, including Ben. He stood leaning his hip against the counter, his spoon hovering midair, his mouth agape.

“Huh.”

The single syllable hung in the air and Rey felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Had she just jeopardized her job? To soften the words, she gave him a brilliant smile.

“That’s true,” Leia said. “I heard that from one of the marketing advisors last year, when we were thinking of a way to promote our new line of crockery.”

Luke and Leia soon got involved in a discussion of why that particular line hadn’t sold as well as they had hoped.

Rey let out a small sigh of relief. She glanced at Ben from beneath her lashes and saw that he was still holding his spoon in exactly the same spot as before. He was gazing at her with a look she couldn’t decipher. Rey gave him a polite smile, still not quite over the fact that he’d insulted her earlier that morning. She glanced around the table and caught Han staring at her. Rey swallowed hard and returned his gaze when he completely blindsided her.

_He winked and smiled._

And in that moment, Rey felt her anxiety ease. She smiled back and started her breakfast again.   
The conversation swelled around her, but for now, all was well.

 

Rey and Leia worked all through morning and well past noon.

  
The way things were going, they only had a few more small things to wrap up before they would issue a “Christmas break”, as Leia called it. If they didn’t manage to wrap things up by the end of the day, they would pick back up on the 26th. But they called it a day since Leia insisted on going on a shopping trip in downtown Mon Torri.

Rey wasn’t really sure what to expect. The entire family was coming along. That made her slightly nervous.

“Let’s get our things and get going, Rey. We’ll grab a quick lunch in one of the restaurants in town, and then we’ll head over to Amilynn’s.”

Rey took a deep breath, smiled, and nodded. There wasn’t much else she could do. By the time they arrived in the hallway, Luke and Han were already waiting, ready to go.

“Where’s Ben?” Leia asked as Han helped her in her coat. Han was about to reply when they heard a deep voice behind them.

“I’m here, Mother. I would never risk your wrath on purpose. My deathwish is not that strong,” he said. To everyone’s surprise, he picked up Rey’s coat and held it out for her to shrug on.

Her face was neutral, but inside she was trilling. To him, it must have been nothing out of the ordinary. If there was one thing she’d noticed so far, it was that Leia and Han had done a good job at teaching him how to be a gentleman. Holding doors, pulling back chairs, holding out coats, … it was everything a gentleman should do.

_As long as you don’t run into him holding coffee…_

The thought made her smile. She politely thanked him, and his eyes seemed to caress her face briefly before turning serious again.

Neither of them had noticed Han had seen the brief exchange. But the man _had_ noticed. He spoke up in that gruff voice of his, breaking the suffocating tension.

“Well, if you want to get any shopping done before sunset, I suggest we get going.”

“I agree,” Luke said.

“Rey,” Leia said and motioned for Rey to link her arm with hers, “why don’t we girls stick together? Men can be such a drag when you want to go on a good shopping spree.”

That made Rey laugh and Leia chimed in for good measure. They opened the door and stepped out to find the cars waiting for them in the driveway.

The trip downtown didn’t take long. No more than twenty minutes later, they arrived in the center of the cutest, sweetest, most picturesque little town Rey had ever seen. It was the quintessential typical embodiment of a Charles Dickens Christmas town. It was almost too good to be true.

Cute storefronts were everywhere, filled with the most diverse goods she had ever come across on such a small strip of street. There were shops with toys, clothing, one with handmade beauty products and soaps, a candle shop, arts and crafts, antiques, numerous coffee shops and much, much more.   
It dazzled Rey’s mind.

They had a quick lunch from a local coffee shop, nothing fancy. Just some deli sandwiches on the go.

“If you boys don’t mind, Rey and I have an appointment at Amilynn’s. We’ll meet you back here in let’s say an hour or two.”

“Sure thing, Sweetheart.” Han’s rough voice barely sounded over a brass band that was playing in the town square. “Say hi to her from me.”

Leia gave him a look that seemed odd to Rey, but she kept her silence. Leia tucked Rey’s arm under hers as she gave the men an animated wave.

“Thank goodness they’re not coming along. There’s nothing worse than shopping with reluctant men, I’ll tell you that. Not even shopping with an ornery child…”

The consternation in Leia’s voice made Rey giggle and Leia joined her, making her seem years younger. Rey looked back over her shoulder with a smile and noticed that Luke and Han were already heading off to the opposite side together. Ben was still rooted in the same spot, staring after her with a forlorn expression on his face. Rey gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile but soon got dragged along by Leia.

“You’ll love Amilynn’s. She’s an old friend of mine, she and I go way back. She’s got the most beautiful gowns you’ve ever seen, so I just know we’ll find the perfect dress for you there. Do you have a style you prefer?”

Leia kept chatting as they made their way along the street. It was busy, but in a cozy sort of way. Lightyears different from the shopping malls of Coruscant.

Soon they arrived at a large store with wide windows, decorated to the rafters with lights and holly and ornaments. Two beautiful evening gowns stood on each side of the double doors. As they opened it and stepped across the threshold, an antique bell clanked. Within seconds, a tall and slender woman graciously swooped into the room. Her hair was a bright purple, and the color brought out the arctic sky blue of her eyes.

“Leia!” she exclaimed warmly and pulled the much shorter woman in an obviously heartfelt embrace.

“Amilynn! It’s been far too long!” Leia replied as she pulled back, but the women held hands as they stepped apart.

“I’ll say! It’s been what now? Six years?”

Leia scrunched her face a little. “More or less.” And then she smiled so tenderly, it almost brought tears to Rey’s eyes.

“Amilynn, I would like to introduce you to Rey Kenobi, my Personal Assistant. Rey, please meet Amilynn Holdo, my closest and dearest friend.”

“How do you do, Miss Holdo,” Rey said politely as they shook hands.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Kenobi. Please call me Amilynn.”

“As you wish, Amilynn. If you will call me Rey.”  
  
“I would consider it an honor, Rey. Any friend of Leia’s is a friend of mine,” she said with a warm smile. She linked her arms with Rey and Leia’s arm and turned them towards the reception area of the shop. “Now, if you ladies would tell me what exactly we are looking for, I can work my magic.”  
A little smile toyed with the woman’s lips.

Leia smiled back at her and Rey got a glimpse of how deep these two women knew and cared for each other.

“We’re looking for an evening gown. For both of us, but mostly for Rey. Elegant. Tasteful. Stunning. Breathtaking.”

The mischief in Leia’s eyes was contagious. It was mirrored in Amilynn’s blue gaze.

_Oh, the trouble these two must have gotten into when they were younger…_

She looked Rey up and down.

“I know just the thing. Come! We’ll get started right away.”

Rey was taken to a fitting room and several dresses were brought in. They made Rey’s head spin. One was more beautiful than the other. She tried on several dresses: a long-sleeved white and silver dress with a boatneck neckline that was amazing; a beautiful emerald green dress with a very deep V-necked cleavage and a full tule skirt, a mesmerizing midnight blue gown with a full A-line skirt, the body bedecked with thousands of tiny crystals. It had felt like she had been wearing the entire galaxy on her dress, making her feel very regal. But it still missed something…

“This isn’t it either,” Amilynn said as she stood behind Rey, staring at the reflection in the huge mirror. “I feel like it’s missing something. Like you need something more…” Her voice trailed off as her face cleared up, a brilliant idea popping in her head. “I’ve got it!” she exclaimed. “Go back inside the fitting room, I’ll be right back with your dress.”

Rey did as she was told, and within minutes, Amilynn walked in with another dress. It was a beautiful, vibrant, deep red, the perfect color for Christmas. It seemed simple enough. Satin – or perhaps silk, Rey didn’t know the difference – with an off-the-shoulder neckline. It was more form-fitting than the others had been. It looked… Jessica Rabbit.

_Va-va-voom._

Rey swallowed at the sight.

“Oh, I don’t know about this one,” she started but was shushed immediately by both women.

“You should try at the very least,” Amilynn said as she helped a reluctant Rey in the dress. And then something strange happened. Almost like magic.

As the dress slipped over her head and the zipper came up, Rey suddenly felt empowered. As if she could make the world bow at her feet in that dress.

“Here, let me fix your hair real quick.” The purple haired woman said as she pulled the band from Rey’s hair, fluffing it around her face into wild curls.

When she exited the fitting room she heard Leia gasp and as her eyes met her boss’, she saw the older woman get teary eyed. And when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Rey understood why.

She barely recognized herself. The woman in the mirror hardly resembled the bland girl she normally was. Dressed in tidy but often cheap clothing, trying to come off professional. The wallflower no one saw. _A nobody from nowhere._

But not right now…

_I look beautiful._

She looked absolutely ravishing. The deep red of the dress brought out her golden complexion and highlighted her hair. Her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks had a healthy rosy hue. Her figure seemed curved and full in all the right places, even where she knew she was lacking. But not in this dress.

“Oh, Amilynn, you’ve done it again.” Rey heard Leia say. “You look like a million credits, my dear.”

Rey blushed and then paled. She wouldn’t be able to afford this dress, she was sure of it. As she tried to reach for the tag to check, Leia spoke up with that familiar authoritive voice of hers.

“Amilynn, please put this dress and any accessories we decide upon on the company account? We cannot afford a very distinctive employee of ours to attend a formal occasion without the proper attire, now can we?”

Leia and Amilynn shared a look, and it was obvious to a blind man that these two understood each other perfectly. They must have been in cahoots more times than anyone could think of to communicate with such a shielded glance.

Rey met Leia’s eyes and knew better than to object.

As Leia asked Amilynn to get her a dress for the party, she and Rey went through the store to look for accessories. Shoes, jewelry, hair ornaments, the works!

When Amilynn called Leia to the fitting room, Rey sat down on the small sofa. And when Leia exited, Rey’s eyes misted over once more.

Leia looked absolutely lovely.

She wore a dark, charcoal long-sleeved dress with a boatneck neckline. The bodice was covered with delicate lace and dark rhinestones. It was classy and sophisticated and looked absolutely stunning on her boss.

The three of them ooh’ed and ah’ed for a few more minutes, finding the perfect accessories for their outfits and after some small talk and details about the delivery and some heartfelt hugs the two women left the store. Leia linked her arm with Rey’s and for the first time in her life, Rey got a glimpse of what it must have been like to have a mother to go shopping with. And it both thrilled her and broke her heart all over again. But that would be something to dwell on later, in the privacy of her own room.

In the meantime, the men had had far less fun than the women.

They had walked the streets because they knew they needed to get something for everyone and they couldn’t get out of that deal. So they had visited a few shops and gotten some gifts for one another. Mostly Luke and Han had gotten their share of gifts so far.

Ben had trailed along, his mood blacker than his clothes. He knew how petty and childish he must seem, but he couldn’t help but sulk. This was _not_ how he wanted to spend his day _._

He had wanted to stay behind at the house and finish his project. It felt so good to finally be able to do something for himself, to create for himself, that he loathed every second he couldn’t work on it.   
But his mother had made it quite clear that his presence was required and that he was not to stay behind. So he had been compliant for once and gone along on this shopping trip from hell…

After about two strained hours, they sauntered over to the coffee shop where his mother had told the men to meet up with them. As they neared it, he heard familiar laughter. And as he looked up, he saw his mother coming their way, her arm linked with Rey’s.

It made his heart stutter in his chest. He hadn’t seen his mother this carefree in years. She looked younger and vibrant and beautiful. And Rey…

She was absolutely breathtaking.

The way her smile curved her lips upward and her eyes crinkle. The way those hazel eyes sparkled and shone with merit. The way her cheeks flushed with cold and happiness. Something about seeing his mother and her employee, in such a familiar and affectionate way, moved him and saddened him at the same time.

He couldn’t remember ever having such a carefree relationship with his mother, even though there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that they loved each other in their own way. But to see his mother obviously care for Rey touched him in a way he’d never experienced before.

It made him… Glad. Content. _Happy._ There was something about this young woman that affected him like nothing or no one else ever had.

“There you are!”

Luke’s voice interrupted his reverie and instantly fouled his mood. He scowled just as his mother and Rey looked up at him. Regret twisted inside him when he saw her brilliant smile falter a little.

“My my, someone seems impatient for our return.” Leia’s voice sounded both snarky and silky smooth. “If I didn’t know better, I would have thought you boys weren’t having as much fun as we were…” She smiled with narrowed eyes. Her gaze landed on Ben and he simply stared at her.

“I think we should either go inside and have coffee or get on with shopping so we can get back to the house soon,” Han interjected, probably to diffuse the tension building.

Leia turned towards her husband and they discussed something. Rey wasn’t paying attention to what they were saying. Her eyes had found the tall, brooding man dressed in black. He looked sullen and irritated. Sad almost, too. She noticed there was a lot of room between him and Luke.

What on earth had caused such a rift between this family? It must have been something big, for she got the distinct impression family meant a great deal to these people.

Then, his eyes suddenly met hers and something in his dark gaze made her breath catch. Her mouth opened on its own volition and her eyes widened a little. She drew in a silent, shuddering breath but she knew it wasn’t lost on him. Ben seemed to have a similar reaction. His bottom lip and his chin quivered ever so slightly.

Han stood to the side, talking with his wife when he noticed his son’s fascinated look. He saw how enthralled his only child seemed to be with his wife’s Personal Assistant. And as far as he could remember, he’d never seen something similar in his son before. It made him smile despite his own misgivings about this trip. Maybe Leia had been right after all. Maybe this was something they needed more than they cared to admit…

“Why don’t we split up again? You, me, and Luke go about our shopping, and we’ll let these two young folks explore the town on their own?”

Leia looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“What?” she said as if he’d told her the snow on the ground was hot.

“You heard me. I can’t imagine being that age and wanting to hang with the old geezers.”

“Hey, who are you calling old?” Luke chimed in for good measure.

Han looked over at the two youngsters of the group and saw the surprise all over their faces.   
That in its own good right was enough of a reward, but he needed to see this through.

“Besides,” he continued in a rational tone, “they still need to get us gifts, and I’m sure they’d rather not have us know what they’re getting us. I know I don’t.”

Leia tilted her head and regarded Han with a thoughtful expression, then did the same with Rey and Ben.   
“You’re right,” she said after a moment of consideration. “There are some things I’d like to get and I don’t want to ruin the surprise. I’m sure that feeling is mutual.” Leia spoke with determination and once again, she was the no-nonsense business woman Rey had come to know in Coruscant.   
“Ben, you’ll show Rey around town. Make sure she sees some of the more touristic sites, like the town square with the Christmas tree and the brass band. The Dickens’ Carolers. Also, get her to see the Nativity scene.”  
  
Ben’s eyes flitted to Rey, who was still looking at him with a curious expression on her face. But then he focused on his mother again.

“Yes, Mother.”

“Good!” Leia exclaimed with a little more force than was necessary. “Then we’d best get going. We’ll meet back here at seven. Let’s go,” she said to Han and Luke, and before Rey and Ben could blink, they were gone. Ben stared after them, his gut churning with a strange sense of suppressed anger.

“Are you always this agreeable?”

Rey’s voice brought him back to the here and now, the sound melodious like wind chimes. He looked at her with what he hoped was a very intimidating look.

“Wouldn’t I get along with my family better if I were?” he retorted, and he couldn’t help the smudge of bitterness that entered his tone.

Rey’s smile faltered once more. She averted her eyes and was at a loss for words. He didn’t want the rest of the evening to be strained and uncomfortable, so he decided he needed to act quickly.

“Unfortunately, I am more like my family than I would like to admit. It seems I inherited most of their least positive traits. I tend to be curt and self-centered most of the time, so forgive me if I am not the best of company.”

He said this as he drew himself to his full height and shoved his hands down his pockets. Rey looked up at him – damn, but the man was really, _really_ tall – and couldn’t help but feel empathy for this enfant sauvage.

“That’s quite alright,” she said softly, staring up at him with wide luminous eyes. “Someone always has to stick out, right?” She then gave him a lopsided grin and just like that the tension was broken.

Once again, he surprised himself: he let out a burst of laughter. With eyes twinkling with mischief, he couldn’t stop the smile from clinging to his lips.

“That I definitely do,” he said cryptically.

She kept smiling back at him and the moment seemed to last for far longer than the few seconds it must have been.

“So…” she started. “You were to take me shopping. And sightseeing.”

“So it seems,” he said softly.

“Then by all means, lead the way, Mr Solo.” Rey said with a swoop of her arms.

He inclined his head. “Of course. If you’ll just follow me, Miss Kenobi.”

And so they started to make their way down the busy streets. Ben turned out to be a very gracious guide. He showed her most of the stores, told her little anecdotes of the owners and why they sold certain items or why their storefront was designed a certain way. He showed her the town square and the giant Christmas tree and the nativity scene, just as his mother had instructed. He then bought her a cup of hot chocolate from one of the concessions stands that were lined along one side of the square. They listened to the Carolers sing for a while.

Rey had never before been this submersed in the Christmas spirit. This entire town lived and breathed it, and it was amazing to be a part of it.

As Ben led her away, to continue their shopping spree, they passed a small art gallery.

“Oh my Gosh!” Rey exclaimed.

“What is it?” Ben asked her with a frown, surprised at her sudden outburst. He took an instinctive step back when he saw her cup of hot chocolate come his way as Rey moved her arms in excitement.

“That’s a Kylo Ren!” she looked up at him with excited wonder in her eyes.

Ben looked at her in surprise.

“You know him?” he asked, completely dumbfounded that she would have heard of this artist.

“Oh yes! He’s my favorite painter in the whole world!” she said as she took a step closer to the window. “Look at this! Oh, it’s exquisite! The way he uses color, those typical brush strokes. Almost as if he’s angry but still manages to contain it to create. The details in the faces of the people and objects he paints…” Her voice trailed off in wonder and her hand rested on the window pane.   
“I mean, have you ever seen anything as beautiful as this?”

Ben looked at her standing there, less than two feet away. Her hand resting wistfully on the window as if she longed to touch the painting. Her head was slightly tilted, her woolen beanie slouching slightly, displaying those dark curls sticking out beneath it. Her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed in excitement. The snow falling in slow motion around them, the Christmas lights reflecting in her hazel eyes. It took his breath away.

“Yes, I have.”

Rey met his gaze then and dear Maker, what he would have given to be able to kiss her. She lowered her gaze far too soon for his taste, a deep embarrassed blush creeping onto her cheekbones, making her look all the prettier.

“So you like his work then?” he said after clearing his throat.

“No, I don’t.” Rey said bluntly, garnering a confused frown from Ben. She quickly continued. “I love his work. There’s a difference between liking something and loving something.” _Or someone…_

She dropped her hand from the window pane, but there was a distinct longing on her face.

“I would give anything to have one of his pieces at home,” she continued as she turned away from the display. “Unfortunately, despite the very generous salary I get from Skywalker’s, it’s still far above my budget. But oh… What I wouldn’t give,” Rey said with a deep sigh.

Ben swallowed hard.

He had been surprised to see her recognize the artist, let alone love his work to this extent. It moved him deeply, and only complicated matters even more. This woman next to him was turning out to be quite the mystery. With every layer he managed to unveil, two more layers appeared. And he was even more surprised that he wanted to discover every single one of them; to find out what this woman was all about.

“I heard he spends some of his time here now and then,” Ben said softly.

“I know.” Rey said as she turned his way. Her eyes were wide and sparkling with life, intoxicating and bewitching. “Unfortunately, he hasn’t painted anything for at least five years. He gave a press statement a few years back that his muse had left him.”

He watched her shrug casually and could feel her disappointment seep through to his core.

“Well,” he started with a deep breath, “I wouldn’t lose hope. Christmas time is supposed to be magical, right? Maybe something or someone will inspire him again.”

Rey laughed and looked up at him.

“Oh, God, I hope so! The world needs far more of his talent.” With one final look of pure longing at the painting in the window display, she sighed and spoke resolutely. “Now, we’d best be moving along, or we won’t have our shopping done by the time we’re to meet your mother.”

He found himself smiling down at her despite himself.

“You’re so right,” he said quietly. “We should be going. Do you have any ideas of what you want to get everyone?” He placed his hand at the small of her back and they fell into step together as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

And just like that, a sense of intimacy wrapped itself around them as they went on their way, as if they had known each other forever.

 

 

 

Time seemed to fly by.

They did their share of window-shopping and got the gifts they needed with the exception of each other’s. They strolled around town as if they hadn’t a care in the world.

Rey saw a new side to the brooding, moody man she had been shown since the moment they met.   
Ben was actually quite the charming gentleman. Polite, gentle, considerate. _Handsome, funny, sexy as hell…_

He had a strange sense of humor that she could definitely appreciate. He also had good taste in general and proved to be quite the help when it came to picking the right gifts for his family. Well… he wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to assist in buying Luke something. In fact, she was fairly certain he would prefer dental surgery without anesthesia to it. But they got the job done nevertheless. They had decided on something safe and relatively bland: a tasteful grey silk tie with a modest damask print.

As they exited the shop, Rey turned to him with a wide smile.

“Thank you for helping me. I honestly wouldn’t have had a clue what to get him.”

She felt his reluctance. It practically filled the air around them and she was at a loss. She had no idea how to dissipate the tension.

“Don’t mention it,” he said and with a dark chuckle he repeated himself. “Seriously, don’t mention it. If he knows I had anything to do with picking his gift, he’ll automatically be a lot less happy with it.”

Rey saw his eyebrows draw together in a tight frown as he averted his gaze.   
“What happened between you two?” she asked bluntly, unable to keep the words from slipping out.

His eyes flew up and anger flashed across his face before he guarded his expression once more.   
When his lips drew into a tight line, Rey knew she needed to take a different approach.

“I mean, it’s obvious that whatever it is, it bothers both of you.”

Ben sighed and hung his head. He ran his hand through his hair, and Rey swore the man could be a millionaire simply by being a hair model.

“It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago,” he clipped.

“If it doesn’t matter, then why are you still holding on to your anger?”

His head came up sharply and his eyes flashed like a thunderstorm. He was about to respond when she cut him off.

“I’m not trying to offend you, Ben,” she said softly as she stepped closer and reached for his hand.   
“I just think that you deserve to be happy again.” Her wide hazel eyes shone with conviction and innocence and stared so deeply into his that he almost forgot his own name.

He pursed his lips and considered – for the first time in six long years – telling someone what had happened.

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind,” he ended up saying instead. He saw the disappointment in her eyes and felt like an absolute jerk, causing him to sigh and mutter under his breath.   
“I’m sorry, Rey. I’ve just been on my own for so long. I am not used to sharing and confiding. And I might end up telling you, but it won’t be in the middle of town with a ton of people around.”

She smiled gently.

“I understand Ben. Don’t worry about it. At least I know I have something he’ll like,” she said with a grin. They started back down the street and halted at another shop.  

“So when are you going to get my present?” he asked, changing the subject. A good technique if ever there was one. Rey laughed at Ben’s tone of voice. He was curious. She decided to tease him a little.

“Oh, I already have yours,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Oh really?” he said, disbelief apparent.

“Yes. I guess it’s alright to tell you. I got you a coffee shop gift card.”

Ben froze for a moment, unsure if he’d heard her right. Rey’s face morphed into a haughty expression, one his mother would be proud of, no doubt.

He then burst out laughing.

“I thought you were getting me a new shirt?”

She cocked her head slightly and stared up at him.   
“That was the intention. But why would I buy a shirt as a gift when I owe you one anyway? That wouldn’t be a surprise at all.”

A Santa stood a few feet away, ringing his bell and calling out for charity. Men, women and children passed by. The carolers could be heard over the ruckus. But when Ben turned to her, everything seemed to fade away.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and luminous. Her cheeks were flushed, her nose was rosy from the cold, but she seemed to glow despite it. And he watched, enthralled, as those seductive lips curved into a slow smile.

Ben swallowed hard. His attraction to this intriguing young woman could not be denied any longer.   
He felt himself go breathless. As if someone or something directed his actions, he found himself stepping closer. Her pupils dilated even further as he leaned forward a little.

He heard the catch in her breath. Her face turned up instinctively. His lips parted. Her lips parted too.   
Anticipation hung in the air and seemed to crackle around them with an almost tangible energy.   
Just as he was about to lean down and touch his lips to hers, a sound made him freeze in his tracks.

“Rey! Ben! There you are! We’ve been looking for you for the past fifteen minutes!”

Leia’s voice washed over him like a cold shower.   
He’d been so close to knowing what Rey’s lips tasted like; what she felt like in his arms. To have his mother ruin that for him was nothing short of poetic justice.

He straightened and saw his own disappointment reflected in those hazel eyes he’d unwittingly come to adore. Rey gave him a shy, apologetic smile and then turned to Leia.

“I’m sorry, Leia. It seems time has gotten away from us,” Rey said with a lift of her shoulders. “But we managed to get most of our shopping done!” she exclaimed happily.

Luke and Han were right behind Leia and were staring at them with various stages of interest on their face; Luke had all but none, Han was staring at his son with a knowing look on his face.

Ben gave him his best belligerent expression before making a show of staring at the carolers down the street.

Rey, Leia, and Luke got immersed in a conversation about local charity after Luke donated a large wad of money to the Santa Claus on the corner. Han and Ben shuffled after them.

As they walked towards the spot where the cars were going to pick them up, Han mumbled under his breath to his son.

“Y’know…” he started in a low tone, “you were standing underneath some mistletoe.”

Ben’s head turned towards his father’s quick as a flash, his dark gaze connecting with Han’s bright blue one. Ben pursed his lips in that typical way of his, making Han smile. The kid didn’t know how telling that move was to people who knew him so well.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Ben spoke softly, so the threesome in front of them wouldn’t overhear.

Han smirked.

“Sure you hadn’t,” he said sarcastically. “Don’t lie to me kid. I see right through it.”

Ben stopped walking and turned to his father.

_Probably because you’ve told so many lies in your life…_

“Why don’t you just say what you want to say?” he said, barely keeping the sneer from his voice.

Han halted in front of his son and looked up at him. And with a gentle tilt of his lips he spoke softly.

“All I’m saying is you look at her the way I used to look at your mother. The girl is something else. And that’s saying something. If she’s what you want, if she’s what could make you happy again, then by all means, go for it.”

Ben couldn’t believe his own ears. His father was giving him dating advice?   
“Thanks for the pointers, _dad_. But I don’t need your help or your permission,” he said with more venom than he had intended.   
  
Han’s face fell a little. Ben immediately regretted his harsh words and accusatory tone but couldn’t take them back.

“I know that you don’t, kid,” Han said softly. “But believe it or not, I hate seeing you unhappy. That girl right there has made you smile more times these past few days than I’ve seen you smile in the past six years. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. Heck, it’s a great thing. So if that’s what you want, you need to grab it and not let go. Because you’ll regret it forever if you do. Now let’s get going, or we’ll never hear your mother let up about Solo’s laggin’ behind…”  
  
Ben looked down at his father and recognized his sincerity. Unable to speak a single word for the life of him, he simply pursed his lips and nodded. They rejoined the party and got in the cars that would take them back to the house.

Once they arrived there, everyone sort of scattered, going about their own business and wrapping the gifts they’d bought. No one ventured out of their rooms that evening, having spent the entire afternoon in each other’s presence.

 

Rey still had to figure out what to give to Ben. She’d been joking when she’d mentioned the gift card and the shirt, but she was absolutely clueless what to get him for real.

When the rest of her gifts were wrapped, she showered and dressed in her pj’s. She snuggled under her covers and watched another Christmas movie, just like the night before. And the night before that. And the night before that one as well…

When the movie – White Christmas was today’s classic – ended, she felt her stomach protest. She hadn’t eaten anything since their trip to town, and she didn’t respond to hunger and cravings well. ‘Hangry’ was a term invented for people like her.   
Wrapping her ratty bathrobe around her and sliding into her worn slippers, she quietly made her way to the kitchen.

With her head stuck in the refrigerator – debating on whether to go for fruit or leftover cake with mocha buttercream frosting – she had no idea she was no longer alone.

“What are you doing?”

When his voice rang out in the darkness, she jumped so high she bumped her head on one of the refrigerator shelves.

“Ow!” she exclaimed as she automatically reached for her head. She backed away from the fridge and turned to see Ben Solo standing in the kitchen doorway, staring at her curiously.   
“Don’t you know it’s not polite to scare people in the middle of the night?” she retorted slightly disgruntled. That was before she got a good look at him…

He stood there, wearing a pair of worn sweat pants and a sleeveless white shirt. Several stains of indistinguishable colors were splattered along his legs, arms and torso. His hair was drawn back from his face, secured by a rubber band. It made his face more prominent, sharper, more striking than ever before.

Her mouth went dry at the sight. _He really was very fit and well-trained._  
His arms were muscular and well-toned, his flat abdomen revealed an obvious eight-pack.  
  
He looked like an Adonis and there she was, standing in front of him in the least attractive way she could possibly have ever looked.   
Her faded flannel pj’s, her bathrobe that had been around for way too many years, her hair in a haphazard bun on top of her head. Not exactly glamourous and stylish. _Not at all…_

“I wouldn’t call it impolite if it’s catching refrigerator raiders after midnight.” His lips tilted in a crooked smile, revealing white teeth that glistened in the moonlight.

“Refrigerator raiders?” she said as her eyebrows shot up. She couldn’t suppress the giggle that escaped her lips. “Did you come up with that yourself?”

He let out a rough sound that might have been a laugh and lowered his face as if embarrassed.   
“Actually, Han did. We used to sneak snacks out to the treehouse in the middle of the night and he would call us ‘the raiders of the lost treats’.”

_Another sneakpeek into his past…_

“Well, I’ve never considered it as raiding. I would look for something to eat, no matter what time of day. Or night. And Leia gave me permission,” she said flippantly.

He looked up and his eyes met hers. The look in his gaze made her freeze in her tracks. Goosebumps rose on her skin as he looked her up and down. As if he had touched her. The heat in his eyes, the intensity in his gaze was scorching. Her heart rate picked up, her breathing became shallow.

He took a few steps in her direction, and she felt like a prey being stalked by a predator yet she had no intention of going anywhere.

This wasn’t like her in the least. And still she made no indication of even moving an inch.

“So what have you decided on?” he said as he halted mere inches from her.

Her fingers itched to touch his chest, so she curled her hands and dug her nails into her palms.

“Nothing yet.”

He looked at the contents of the fridge.

“What were you contemplating then?”

She blushed and lowered her eyes.

“I was going for fruit or the leftover cake,” she muttered under her breath.

He chuckled. And with him standing so close, the sound seemed to vibrate in her own chest.

“In that case…” he said as he reached inside and retrieved the plate holding the cake, “always go for cake.”

He looked down at her and there was such intimacy in his gaze that it took her breath away.   
He seemed completely oblivious to her emotions – _Men!_ – because he took the plate to the kitchen island and started opening and closing drawers and cupboards.   
Before she knew what had happened, Ben had taken down two plates, two forks and a knife, and was cutting two slices off the cake.

Dumbfounded, she closed the fridge and stumbled towards the island, her slippers making a funny swooshing sound on the tiles. She drew up a chair and sat down as he shoved a plate her way. Their gazes connected again and his dark eyes glittered like gems in the darkness.

“Here’s to midnight raids,” he whispered as he lifted his fork.

She mimicked his moves and dug in without another word. She couldn’t help contain the soft moan as that first bite of cake hit her mouth.

Ben looked up at her and felt himself stiffen.

When he had come down from his studio and saw her rummaging through the fridge, he had thought she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. She wore old pyjamas, a bathrobe that seemed as old as time, and her hair was drawn into a messy bun on top of her head with several strands of that chessnut hair escaping in tendrils framing her face.

She looked wholesome and solid and real. _And incredibly sexy._ And he found himself smiling despite himself.

But as he watched her now, her eyes closed, her face a study of delight, he felt something primal inside him respond. His breath caught and a shiver ran down his spine. He felt his blood rush, pumping through his veins like liquid fire and felt his lower abdomen tighten and swell.   
Hux would call him crazy – _Hell, he already did at the drop of a hat!_ – if he ever found out that Ben Solo got turned on by petite, obstinate, flannel pj’s clad women.

He watched as she opened her eyes and looked up at him with merit in her eyes.   
It appeared cake was indeed happiness, as the quote in the bakery he’d visited so often said.

“You’re absolutely right,” she mumbled with a wide smile. “Always go for the cake.”

They both chuckled and then lapsed into comfortable silence.

“What are you doing up anyway?” she asked when she speared her last bite of cake unto her fork.

“Who, me?” he asked, taken back a little.

“No, the Santa Clause behind you,” she said sarcastically. “Yes, of course, you.”

“Oh, well, uh…” He stuttered, unsure of how to proceed. He couldn’t tell her the truth, at least not the entire truth. So he settled for a partial truth. “I was working on a last minute project.”

She quirked a brow at him skeptically.

“And this project requires you to be covered from head to toe in paint?”

“Actually, this particular project does in fact,” he replied dryly.

She smiled and he sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the heavens that he was wearing those wide sweat pants. His slacks or jeans would have been awfully uncomfortable at this point.

“Well, don’t forget to shower before crawling into bed. I’m fairly certain your mother won’t appreciate paint stains on her sheets.”

She slid down the chair and rinsed her plate; then reached for his. She then put their plates and forks in the dishwasher and closed it again, turning to lean against the counter. He immediately had a vision of Rey wrapped up in his sheets and it was all he could do not to back her up against the counter and have his merry way with her.   
Somehow, he managed to find the restraint he needed to not act like a caveman.

“Thanks for the reminder,” he said as he too stood. However, that put him in her close vicinity. Like, they were almost standing toe to toe, so close they would be able to touch if either of them took a deep breath.

Rey looked up at him with those wide hazel eyes of hers and he got sucked right in. He automatically leaned down to kiss her, but then a bout of clarity hit him - and with that clarity came another burst of creativity.

Rey had already responded instinctively by turning her face upward and closing her eyes partially.   
But instead of kissing her lips, he decided to go slow. His father was right. If she was what he wanted, then he needed to be patient, and not rush into things as he was prone to do.

So, Ben cupped her face with his hands and kissed her stern as gently as he could, enjoying the feel of her silken skin against his fingertips.

When he leaned back and looked into her eyes, he saw confusion and adoration at the same time.

“Goodnight, Rey,” he whispered as he let his thumb brush across her lower lip, unable to resist.

Rey couldn’t believe it.

As she watched him turn around and leave the kitchen, she felt completely flabbergasted.   
She had expected him to kiss her – _really kiss her -_ but instead he had done something that had moved her and turned her on more than she could ever have imagined.

She shivered as she recalled the way his thumb had run across her bottom lip, the way his eyes had trailed the movement. He had definitely wanted to kiss her. And she had definitely wanted him to.   
But somehow, kissing her forehead seemed so much more intimate. So much more affectionate.   
She smiled in the darkness and went back to her room as if walking on air.   
She eventually drifted to sleep, still wearing the smile.

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

_December 23rd_

The next day everyone seemed to have their own agenda. They met for breakfast and the silence was deafening. After briefing them on the time of the Christmas party the next day, they all went their separate ways.   
Without work to focus on, Rey felt lost in this big house.

Leia had said supper was at six. But she hadn’t mentioned what Rey should do in the meantime. Since Rey was therefore left to her own devices, she decided to explore the house a little.

When she entered the large library, she felt like she’d died and gone to heaven.

The fireplace was lit and the room was nice and warm. There was a cozy looking comforter thrown over the back of one of the large sofa’s right in front of it. A coffee and tea station – complete with delightful Christmas cookies! – stood at one end.

She wandered off to see if she could find her favorite books. How long that took her, she had no idea. But she soon had a leather-bound copy of Pride and Prejudice in her hands. She quickly made herself a nice cup of tea and then turned towards the chesterfield couch and snuggled in with the blanket.

Several hours must have slipped by, for Rey was so lost in her story she didn’t notice Luke walking into the library.

“Well well, what do we have here? A stow-away?” he said with a chuckle.

Rey jumped at the sound of his voice. She immediately straightened and got up, an embarrassed flush staining her cheeks.

“Mr Skywalker! I’m sorry, I got so engrossed in my story I did not hear you come in.”

“Hmmm” he said with narrowed eyes and a tilt of his head. He reached out and she realized he wanted her to hand him her book. So she wound up doing exactly that without thinking.   
He looked at the title and rolled his eyes.

“Why does this not surprise me,” he said dryly. He handed her the book back. “At least it’s a classic, and not one of those dreadful concoctions youth these days think of as literature. Like fifty shades or rubbish like that.”

Rey couldn’t help the smile that crept on her face.

“Have you read them?” she asked quietly, then felt her face burn with mortification as his blue gaze seemed to pierce her.

“Of course I have. Hasn’t everybody?” he asked blandly. “The real question is: Did I like them?”

It wasn’t the answer she had expected. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped a little.   
Then Luke smiled at her and they both started laughing.

When the laughter died down a little, Rey noticed Luke was in a strange mood.

“Mr Skywalker, did you want to be alone here? I could take my book and go to my room if you wish.”

Luke looked at her and smiled wanly.

“No, Rey, it’s fine. Stay. There’s nothing special I was planning on, I just like to come here and hang around. Most of these books are older than I am, so I feel better when I am here.” He winked and Rey smiled despite herself.

But then she caught sight of that strange expression once more when he ran his finger along the back of a copy of ‘The Grinch who stole Christmas’. He looked… wistful.

“Are you alright, Mr Skywalker?” she asked quietly.

He turned towards her and sighed. She saw a strange mixture of defeat and melancholy in his face, he appeared weary and old because of it.

“Please Rey, call me Luke. We’ve been staying under the same roof and eating meals together. Save the whole ‘Mr Skywalker’-thing for the office in Coruscant,” he said.

He walked towards the fire, staring into it and Rey felt lost for a few moments. Unsure of how to proceed, she just stayed seated. Her approach paid off, because Luke soon started talking very softly.

“I know you’re very young, Rey, but I also know a little of your past.” He looked over his shoulder and gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry. I read your file and your background check. One of the perks of being the big boss…” his voice trailed off.

She lifted a shoulder and was about to reply when Luke started talking again.

“Have you ever made a bad decision? One of disastrous proportions, one that you would give everything for if you could take it back?”

Rey’s eyebrows lifted and her jaw dropped a little. _What was going on here?_

“Well, Mr… uhm… Luke,” she started haltingly, “I can tell you I have indeed made a few bad decisions and some huge mistakes.” She watched as his shoulders slumped ever so slightly, barely visible underneath the drab brown cable knit woolen sweater.

“But I’ve also found that no mistake was ever without rectification if I chose it,” she continued quietly. She got up off the couch and took a few steps towards him. Where she found the courage and the boldness, she had no idea. “Does this have to do with your conflict with Ben?” she whispered, afraid of angering him somehow.

Instead, he surprised her. He simply nodded and looked so guilt-stricken she felt sorry for him.

“What can I say? I’m a jerk sometimes. I wronged him. As in really, _really_ wronged him. I’ve spent the past six years trying to figure out a way to put it right, but nothing worked so far. Whatever I try, I always end up pushing him away even further.”

Rey frowned. Why was Luke telling _her_ this? She wasn’t family. He hadn’t even known her that long. She was an employee for crying out loud!

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.

The CEO of Skywalker Corporations looked at her with something that seemed very reminiscent of approval. He smiled sadly and spoke so soft she could barely hear.

“Because you make him smile.”

That was like a bucket of ice water. It made her draw in a deep breath. Rey swallowed hard, a lump forming at the back of her throat, tying knots in her vocal chords. So when she spoke, it sounded as if she’d swallowed a fistful of sand.

“I see. Well…” she took another deep breath and tried to clear her throat unobtrusively, “perhaps you just need to tell him that.”

He looked at her as if she had gone mad. “Excuse me?”

Rey gave him a little smile and with more confidence than she actually felt continued in a firm voice.

“Perhaps you just need to tell him that. You are both struggling with whatever happened to cause this rift. You should simply let him know how much you regret the course of action and apologize. Perhaps write him a letter. Although, you should be very cautious in the phrasing. The written word is often misinterpreted.”

The more she spoke, the tighter Luke’s eyebrows drew together.

“A letter?” he retorted after a few moments of terse silence.

“Yes.”

Luke paced in front of the fire. He halted abruptly and rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

“And you think that would work?”

The hesitation and doubt in his voice was so obvious that a deaf man would be able to hear it.

“It might,” Rey said softly as she sat on the edge of the couch and watched him pace some more.   
“It can’t do more damage than what has already been done.”

He looked up and gave her a disbelieving look and a sarcastic grin that screamed ‘Wanna bet?’.   
She got up again and walked up to Luke, never breaking eye contact.

“Luke,” she started softly, “it’s obvious that this rift between you two is hurting you both. Family is important in life, if not one of _th_ e  most important things there is. To continue this argument when it could be resolved would be a shame. Show him you are sincere and try to right your wrongs.”

Luke looked at her intently, and Rey watched silently as his chin trembled ever so slightly.

“And you really believe that?” His voice sounded gritty and rough.

Rey gave the old man a bright smile.

“Yes. Yes, I do!” She took his hand and squeezed, hoping with all her heart that this family feud would find an end this Christmas. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to start getting ready for the party tonight,” she said with another bright smile and turned around. She quickly straightened the plaid that she had used to curl up on the couch, took her book, and with a soft ‘Goodbye’ left the patriarch to his own device.   
  
Rey decided to venture into Mon Torri on her own.

She still needed to get Ben a gift and she still had a large part of the afternoon to fill. Skulking around the house wasn’t very appealing. That made her decision all the easier.

So she asked for a car to take her into town. Twenty minutes later, she stood in the town square once more. She remembered what Ben had told her and how they had walked around. Somehow, the experience of shopping was a lot more enjoyable with him close by.

She strolled down Main Street, wandering into the various shops and letting her thoughts roam.

She liked Ben.

 _She really liked Ben_.

Rey had never met a man like him before. He had a fair share of issues, and a lot of anger pent up inside. But aside from that, he seemed a genuine nice guy hiding behind that coarse and insolent behavior.

She walked into an old antiques shop as her mind kept replaying last night. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. In a basket on the ground, under a table that displayed a very bedecked Christmas tree, Rey saw something that called out to her.

She knelt down and looked closer.   
In the basket lay a heart-shaped ornament, made from delicate glass with a sheer pearlescent coating. In the center of the heart was a tiny golden star. Rey knew in that instant that it was the gift she wanted Ben to have.

She quickly took it to the cash register and paid for it. The old man behind the counter took the time to wrap it for her, to make sure no harm would come to it. Rey thanked him profusely and exited the store, almost skipping with glee.

As she passed a coffee shop from the same branch as the one she visited in Coruscant, she couldn’t help herself. One gag-gift wouldn’t hurt, right?

She went inside and quickly purchased a gift card. After that, she went back to the car and went back to the cottage. She had everything she needed now.

Rey only hoped Ben would see the symbolism as she did and appreciate it as she hoped he would...


	7. Chapter 7

December 24th

 

Ben stood in his studio, covered in sweat and paint.

He unplugged his earbuds and let them hang down his chest, still blaring out ‘Ashes of Eden’ by a band called ‘Breaking Benjamin.’   
He’d discovered the band by accident all those years ago, right after the fiasco with his family, along with some rougher Heavy Metal Bands. He’d found the name ironic and their music was pretty good.   
And since meeting Rey, some of their lyrics had found new meaning in his own interpretation.

This was how he came to stand back from yet another completed painting, the ninth since the day she’d ran into him with her hazelnut latté. And that was not counting the work he’d done for the company’s new advertising line.

And as he stood there, allowing his critical eye to roam this latest creation, he smiled. Before him on the easel, stood a beautiful piece of art depicting Rey’s angelic face, turned up in the falling snow.

_It was perfect._

It was everything he had hoped it would be, how he had seen it in his mind’s eye. Her skin seemed to glow, her eyes sparkled as if they had somehow been stolen from her lovely face and placed on his canvas. They held a sense of wonder and innocence, much as she had looked during their tour of Mon Torri. Her hair – those beautiful curls escaping from beneath a silly woolen beanie – glistened like spun silk.

Looking at it from this distance, he noticed the difference to his previous works. It still had his signature style - his brushstrokes were still wild and controlled at the same time. But it seemed softer than his previous work somehow. More… gentle. _Tender_.

He shook his head and let out a sigh. _The things that crazy woman did to him with her antics._   
She stood up to Luke, defending him without a second thought.   
She made his father into her champion.   
She made his mother smile and laugh as she had before life had turned her into a stoic machine-like businesswoman.  
She made _him_ smile and laugh. She made him rethink things. She made him…

_She made him hope!_

Hope that there might be a bright future after all. That happiness was not an empty, meaningless word. That it was tangible and available to him too. That is wasn’t too late…

An alarm sounded from his phone, reminding him that it was time to start getting ready for the party. It would work out beautifully. By the time he was done showering and getting dressed, the painting would be dry and he would be able try and wrap it somewhat decently.

He went up the stairs, taking them two steps at a time. He felt lighter than he had in ages. He figured Rey’s presence had a lot to do with that. So, it was with a huge silly smile on his face that he bumped into her in the hallway.   
  
“Rey, hi!” he said cheerfully.

She seemed to be taken by surprise.

“Oh, Ben! Hello there.”

A wide, spontaneous smile lit up her face and he felt his heart expand in his chest. It was right there and then that he knew he was in trouble. She had gotten under his skin.

“I was just about to get ready for the party later,” she continued without faltering.

“Yeah, me too,” he said and smiled down at her.

_Because you make him smile._

Luke’s words rung in her ears and she frowned a little at the memory. The man before her only had two mood settings it seemed: brooding and disgruntled or agreeable and very likeable...   
She looked him up and down and saw paint splatters on his forearms and pants again.

“It seems you definitely need to,” she said on a laugh.

He looked down at himself and joined her with a guffaw.

“Yes, so it seems.”

She looked up at him and smiled.

“More of that mysterious project of yours?” she asked mischievously.

He became flustered and insecurity hit him like a ton of bricks. What if she hated it?

“Uhm… yeah.” Embarrassment tinted his neck and cheeks a delightful shade of pink, and even tipped his ears bright red. Thank the heavens that they were hidden beneath his hair this time. He felt bad enough she’d caught a glimpse of them last night.

“I didn’t know you painted. Is it just a hobby or is it work related?” Rey asked casually.

She knew he was in the advertising department of Skywalker’s, so he probably did many designs.   
Ben seemed to be ill at ease which seemed quite odd. She wasn’t the intimidating sort, especially compared to his family.

“I dabble a little,” he said with his eyes downcast. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but I really need to get ready. If I’m late, my mother will have my hide,” he said abruptly, making Rey frown slightly.

“You’re right. Yours and mine.”

He looked at her and caught her biting her bottom lip with a smile. His entire body responded faster than it took for her to say her next line.

“Alright. I’ll see you at supper then.”

With that she turned and entered her room and Ben hurried into his own, slamming the door.   


  
The time for the party had arrived. Rey stood in the mirror, looking at an image that seemed completely foreign.

The red dress she was wearing, the way her hair had been swept upwards in an elegant hairdo with loose curls framing her face, the makeup that had been meticulously applied…   
She looked completely different. Like another person. And yet… she felt more like herself than she had in years. This woman in the mirror seemed confident and strong and ready to take on whatever life threw her way. And Rey definitely considered herself all those things.

But this time, she also felt beautiful.

She made her way downstairs, towards the large formal dining room. Several people were already gathered in the hallway, speaking animatedly. Ben stood with his mother, his father, and a young man and woman she didn’t recognize. Amilynn stood with them, with her arm looped through the arm of an older man who Rey had never seen before either.

Ben was bored out of his mind when something caught his attention.   
He noticed a blur of red in the corner of his eye and when he looked up, he stopped breathing. His heart missed several beats, only to then kickstart with a vengeance, thudding against his chest as if he’d just been chased down by a yeti.

Rey was coming down the stairs, looking like a dream.

She wore a deep red satin dress that hugged her every curve, long white satin gloves reaching her upper arms. Her hair was swept up into an intricate updo but left a large portion of her silken curls hanging down to her shoulders, framing her face. She wore very simple jewelry, just a slender necklace with a single diamond snowflake that rested between her collarbones. Her earrings were of the same design. She wore subtle makeup, only emphasizing her natural beauty.

She took his breath away. And when her gaze connected with his and she smiled as if only for him…

It hit him like a ton of bricks. He was head over heels in love with her.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and tried to smile back but failed miserably.   
He must have made a sound, because the people around him followed his stare.

“Rey, darling!” his mother exclaimed. “There you are! Come! I want to introduce you to some very special friends of mine.” Leia walked towards Rey and linked her arm with her protégé’s. “Everyone, this is Rey Kenobi, my Personal Assistant and life-saver extraordinaire! Rey, you’ve met with Amilynn.  I would like you to meet my other close friends: Gial Ackbar, Kaydel Connix, and Poe Dameron.”

The last one mentioned immediately took Rey’s hand and leaned forward to kiss it.

“The pleasure is all mine,” he said softly as he smiled engagingly and stared at her intently as his lips brushed her knuckles.

Rey blushed, both because of his words and his obvious interest. It was something she wasn’t used to.

“I’m very happy to meet all of you,” she said as she looked around the small group. Her gaze met with Ben’s and she felt like frowning when she saw the look in his eyes.

He looked like a thunderstorm in the making. His eyes were flashing, his cheeks were flushed, and his mouth was drawn into a tight line. And yet there was something in that gaze that made her traitorous body respond.

_Heat. Pure unadulterated, unbridled heat._

She smiled at him, for him, and couldn’t keep the husky tone from her voice as she addressed him.

“Hello Ben.”

He stood a little straighter and replied in a voice that made her break out in delicious goosebumps and caused tingles to run up and down her spine.

“Hello Rey.”

Leia briskly addressed the tiny group.

“Well, we are all just waiting for two more people, and as soon as they arrive, we will move into the drawing room for refreshments.”

She seemed oblivious to the tension between her son and PA, but nothing of the sort was true. She’d noticed it when they were returning home from their shopping trip to Mon Torri. And now, it was even more obvious. Her son was enchanted, her employee completely entranced.   
Leia couldn’t have wished for a better result.

Poe was being an ass, his interest in Rey blatantly obvious. He wasn’t a player exactly, but he always had been somewhat of a flirt. He would never learn. But maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. He might make Ben speed up his advances on Rey.

The doorbell rang and so, the last two guests had arrived.

Ben stiffened when he saw who stepped inside.

Armitage Hux and Phasma Christinsen. His own subordinates. His jaw locked and he shot his mother a murderous look. Leia just lifted a shoulder and went to greet them.

After the necessary introductions and the exchange of a few pleasantries, they all went inside the large drawing room. They were served champagne and hors d’oeuvres and they conversed softly as jazzy Christmas music sounded in the background.

Rey was talking animatedly with anyone who would address her. Ben stood in a corner, looking on at the scene before him. And he had never felt more excluded as he had in that very moment.   
He turned his back on the people, pretending to inspect the gifts under the tree.

“You won’t find it.”

A familiar voice made him look up. He turned and saw Rey standing over him, her smile brighter than the lights on the tree.

“Then where is it?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Rey chuckled softly and the sound instantly made his groin tighten.

“If I told you, I would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t I?”

He smiled and looked her up and down slowly. Rey felt her blood heat at the hungry look in his eyes.

“Do you like my dress?” she asked softly, changing the subject, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ben’s eyes caressed her face almost tenderly before he answered.

“I’d be blind or stupid if I didn’t,” he said in the same tone. He stepped closer and all but whispered in her ear. “However, I think I prefer you the way you were dressed the other night.”

Rey’s jaw dropped at his words.

“You mean my pj’s?” she asked incredulously.

Ben just smiled at her like the cat who ate the canary.

“You are insane,” she said with a shake of her head.

“And you are breathtaking,” he replied without a hitch. His voice had gone gritty and rough. Emotion was making it hard to push the words from his throat.

Rey’s expression was worth it. She drew in a sharp breath and her eyes grew wide and a little too bright. She smiled widely.

“Oh, do stop Ben Solo. You’re almost as bad as Mr Dameron…” Her voice trailed off and her entire demeanor was teasing.

It had a different effect on Ben though. He straightened. And his eyes grew a little colder.

“Don’t compare me to him. Contrary to him, I mean every word I say. Excuse me.”

And with that, he stepped around her and joined the two guests who had arrived later, Hux and Phasma. As far as Rey knew, they were Ben’s colleagues.  Frowning, she turned back towards the tree and looked at the gifts. To her sadness, there was no gift from Ben to her.

“Santa left no gift for you under the tree?”

She instantly turned towards the voice.

“Han!” she said happily. “Sorry, I can’t help but be curious.”

Han chuckled and then stepped a little closer.

“Ignore my son. He and Poe are very competitive. Always have been,” he whispered in a conspiratorial tone. 

Rey smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not holding anything against him.”

Han noticed how she kept her eyes downcast.

“You like him, don’t you.”

Rey’s gaze connected with his in a flash.  It was a statement, not a question.

“I…” Rey started haltingly.

“Don’t worry. He likes you too.” Another dry statement.

“How do you know that?” she asked inconspicuously, keeping her focus on one of the ornaments on the tree.

“Because you make him smile.”

Rey’s head turned at those words. Luke had said the same thing earlier.

“You say that as if he never smiles at all,” she replied flippantly, trying to lighten a mood that was getting far too serious far too fast.

“He doesn’t.” Han had said it without a single moment’s hesitation. “And you know what?” he asked as he stepped a little closer, stage-whispering, “I am glad it’s because of you. I’ve missed my son. So, thank you.”

Rey was a little baffled. The people in this family were surprisingly open to her and she had no idea what she had done to deserve such a privilege.

“You’re welcome, I think,” she replied quietly.

Han smiled at her, gently and caring. He held out his arm and she felt like this man had been the closest thing to a real father figure she’d ever had. He’d been nothing but kind to her since they’d met. There was just something about him that made her wish she’d had a father like him.

He escorted her to the center of the room, where a stern-faced butler came to them to tell them dinner was served. They paired up and left the room two at a time. She saw Ben headed towards her and she already started smiling when she felt her hand being lifted. She turned her head and saw Poe Dameron smiling at her with charm oozing off of him.

“May I have the pleasure of escorting you to the dining room?” he asked graciously, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Taken by surprise, she could do nothing but nod her head in affirmation. Poe then took her arm and tucked it securely in the crook of his arm.

“So, Miss Kenobi, how long have you working for Skywalker’s?” he asked politely. When she looked up, she saw sincere interest. She could spot a liar or a cheat a mile away, but Poe Dameron seemed every bit as honest as he seemed genuine; so she decided to grace him with an answer and a smile.

“Since mid-November. Not very long, I’m afraid, but I hope that I may add more time to that.”

“Of course you will, my dear!” Leia inserted from where she stood on the other side of the long table.

None of them noticed Ben’s contemptuous stare. The way he was glaring bullets at Poe’s back, it was a surprise the man didn’t drop dead on the spot.

When everyone was gathered in the formal dining room, they were shown to their places. Rey sat next to Poe and Hux on either side and across from Ben, who was flanked by Kaydel and Phasma.   
They were all talking animatedly, speaking of all sorts of subjects.

It made Rey’s mind whirl and she suddenly wished for her quiet little apartment. To be in her pajamas and watching her Christmas movies. But then she remembered the insane loneliness and she quickly gave herself a mental shake.

She glanced up and found Ben’s dark eyes on her. Her gaze anchored with his and she just knew he would understand. The crowd and the hectic hubbub seemed to be getting on his nerves too.

“Do you enjoy working there, Miss Kenobi?” Poe asked her.

She looked at him and with a twinkle in her eye, she responded.

“That is a very dangerous question, Mr Dameron, as I am sitting at my employer’s table celebrating Christmas Eve with them.”

Poe chuckled and gave her his most charming grin. He leaned a little closer as he continued in a voice that would remind most women of sultry summer nights and twisted sheets.

“You do have a point there, Miss Kenobi. But please, call me Poe. We _are_ celebrating Christmas together.”

Rey looked at him and smiled back politely, completely unaware of his attempts at seduction.

“Very well, Poe. Then by all means, return the favor and call me Rey. And please tell me, what is it that you do for a living?”

Poe gave her a smug, knowing smile, one that spread on his lips slowly. _Like a lion setting sights on his prey._

“I’m a pilot.”

“Really? How fascinating! And are you freelance, or do you work for an airline or…?” Her voice trailed off and they continued the topic for a little while until the starters were served and the conversation stilled somewhat.

Rey had never had such exquisite food in her life. She couldn’t help but make small throaty sounds as she savored the different flavors on her tongue.

Across from her, Ben was slowly dying.

Torn between killing Poe for blatantly coming on to Rey and killing himself over the agony of watching her obviously enjoy her food, he felt his mood blacken with every passing minute.   
He didn’t even try to make small talk with the ladies next to him. He’d known them for so long - especially Phasma since she worked for him - he couldn’t think of a single thing to say anyway.

Rey let out another delighted little sound and he felt his blood rush down to his groin so fast it left him lightheaded.

His head whipped up just as her eyes opened. Their gaze connected and he watched a delightful blush creep up her cheeks. She smiled demurely and lowered her gaze again.

Then he saw how Dameron leaned in again to say something. It was too low for Ben to hear but Rey laughed at whatever it was, and he felt his blood boil for an entirely different reason.

Then Poe straightened and looked at Ben.  And then the jackass had the nerve to smile at him and wink. Ben could only glare at him with murderous intent, which only made Poe’s smile grow even wider.

“So, Ben, did you ever run into your new muse again?”

The entire table stopped talking as Phasma’s question hung in the air. He turned his face to look at her. He felt the blood drain from his face.

“What new muse?” Leia’s voice pierced the unholy silence.

Everyone turned to look at him and he felt his ears go red.

“Well… I…” His voice trailed off and he couldn’t speak for the life of him.

Hux’s very proper British accent sounded ridiculously loud as he did the honor of explaining.

“Allow me. Ben had an encounter a while ago with a young lady who must have been holding a magical cup of coffee, because after she’d spilled it all on his shirt, he seemed to have gained a new burst of inspiration. He has been able to insert a new breath of fresh air into his work and has been finishing project after project since.”

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…_

He swallowed hard, trying to get past the sizeable lump in his throat. Dread and anxiety pooled in his stomach, making it hard to breathe. He lifted a shoulder, trying to make light of it, but then his gaze met Rey’s and he felt like sliding off his chair and disappearing into a puddle of embarrassment.

Her eyebrows were lifted, her eyes wide and her mouth was slightly agape. It was the surprise he saw in those hazel eyes he loved – what a relief to be able to admit it to himself! – that made him lift his chin and square his shoulders. After all, he didn’t know if Rey had told anyone about their encounter, but he didn’t think so.

“Actually, yes I did,” he said as he turned to face Phasma. She didn’t even hide her delight at those words.

“And? Oh, do tell us!” she egged him on.

“Yes, Ben, do tell us!” several voices chimed in, until he couldn’t help a little chuckle.

“Actually, there’s not much to tell,” he said with another lift of his shoulder. “She apologized again and offered to reimburse my shirt.”

His eyes sought Rey’s and she gave him a secret smile.

“My, that must have been quite a cup of coffee,” she murmured.

His gaze caressed her face briefly before he chose to answer.

“Hazelnut.”

“I beg your pardon?” she said just as she was about to lift her glass to her lips.

“Hazelnut. I believe it was a hazelnut latté she spilled on me. The scent lingered in my office for days. Must be aromatherapy or something.”

Everyone laughed at that, and Ben was saved by the soup that was served. Conversation lulled back to into a quiet murmuring. But he caught Rey’s curious gaze every now and then.

 

The rest of the evening went by relatively uneventful.

There was more conversation. More laughter and food. Lots more wine. Luke got more and more drunk with every course. Leia, Hux, and Kaydel were getting a little on the tispy side. Even Rey felt lightheaded.

She tried to keep it together, but there was so much going on that she was having trouble keeping her focus. The food was too good, the wine was delicious, the company entertaining.   
But the more fun she was having with Hux and Poe, the darker Ben’s scowl grew. She didn’t understand but decided not to let it ruin her first real Christmas.

Poe on the other hand, was very much aware of Ben’s mood. In fact, he thrived on it.   
They’d always been competitive. As children it had been insignificant things, like games, toys, and school grades. Later they had moved their gentle feud to looks, sports, and girls and career rises.   
Being a pilot, Poe always had a bit of an advantage over Ben, who was just a simple advertising executive. Both had climbed the corporate ladder a little, but women in general preferred a rugged pilot over a company dud any day of the week.

In time, Ben had stopped caring, and after the falling out with his family, he hadn’t been in touch. But Poe still knew Ben. Deep down he hadn’t changed much. And for some reason, his adopted cousin had set his sights on Rey Kenobi. She in turn didn’t seem aversive to Ben either. So, Poe wanted to find out just how serious those two were…

So far, Ben sure had a stick up his butt when it came to the young woman. He shot him and Hux foul looks whenever he thought no one was watching. And that… That was the perfect excuse to indulge in some harmless flirting, now wasn’t it?

After dessert – a buffet containing the most beautifully decorated array of desserts imaginable – they retreated back to the formal drawing room for eggnog and cookies.   
Poe didn’t miss a beat. He basically cornered Rey as soon as they entered the drawing room. He poured her some eggnog, gushed over her appearance, threw compliments around whenever he could. She seemed a little uncomfortable at times, but it didn’t stop her from continuing the conversation with him.

They later moved to another section of the room, where he knew Leia had made sure to have a little surprise for her guests. They stood conversing quietly, with lots of laughing and giggling.

Ben stood a few feet away near the door, looking on with anxiety lodged in the pit of his stomach.   
He hated every minute of it, every smile Rey gave Poe, every tilt of her head as she listened intently to whatever the hell he was saying. The tiny touches, the animated gestures, the ever-closing of the distance between them. It churned away in his gut, making bile rise up in his throat.

Suddenly, Hux’s slightly slurred exclaim startled everyone.

“Well, would you look at that. You two are standing under the mistletoe!”

“Oh, now you have to kiss!” Luke’s drunken drawl sounded nothing less than delighted.

Everyone’s head turned and Rey could do nothing but stare wide-eyed. First at Hux, then Luke, then at Poe, and finally at the offensive bushel of greenery hanging from the ceiling above her.

“Leia, what kind of place is that to hang mistletoe! You should hang it in a doorway or something, not in the middle of a room!” Poe retorted, but his reply lacked any form of real conviction or scorn.

Leia simply lifted a shoulder negligently and then brought her glass of wine to her lips.

Ben stood ramrod straight.

_No way! This cannot be happening…_

Heaving a heavy sigh, Poe made a great show of resigning himself to this horrible fate.

“It seems we have very little choice, now do we Rey? It’s bad luck if you stand under the mistletoe and not kiss.”

Rey stood there, rooted to the spot. She could do nothing but stare at Poe with her mouth open and her eyes wide. She tried to tamp down her panic. She didn’t want to kiss Poe at all. He was a nice guy but did nothing for her. But she knew the tradition.

So when Poe stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her waist, she remained frozen. And as his lips came down on her, she did nothing.

Rey felt how his lips moved over hers, felt the tiny squeeze he gave her hip, heard his intake of breath and felt his sigh. But she might as well have been kissing Yoda.

When he broke the kiss, he pulled back and looked down into her eyes. He licked his lower lip and made an approving sound. Then he whispered ‘thank you’.

Ben stood near the door trembling with rage. When he noticed Poe licking his lips after kissing Rey – his Rey! – he felt as if something snapped.

“Goddammit Dameron,” he started, his voice rising as he continued, “for once in your goddamned life, couldn’t you just keep your dick in your pants??” He was shouting by the time he finished his sentence, and in his anger knocked over a chair and kicked the door.

Every pair of eyes in the room was staring at him as if he’d grown horns and sprouted a forked tail out of nowhere.

Rey looked at him with a mixture of shame and regret, his mother covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Poe just lifted a single cocky brow and crossed his arms.

“Ben, please, it’s just a little mistletoe tradition. No one is stopping you from walking over here and doing the same.”

The vein in Ben’s neck bulged dangerously as his anger rose exponentially. He did just that and took several steps in Poe’s direction.

“Why does everything have to be a goddamned competition with you? We’re not kids anymore, for Maker’s sake! Grow the fuck up!”

“Now, Ben, calm down. There’s no need for foul language like this.” Hux interjected calmly, his slightly slurred speech making him sound dimwitted.

“Stay out of this, Ginger,” Poe interjected as he took a step closer. “What competition are we talking about?” he said as he took yet another step, a smug smile on his face. “Let me guess, you’re pissed off because I kissed her when you obviously wanted to.”

And suddenly the two men were all but standing toe to toe.

“Well guess what, Solo?” Poe whispered. “Maybe you should learn to go after what you want instead of standing on the sideline watching how others get what you want.”

That single line hit Ben so hard, that the air whooshed from his lungs. He reacted on pure instinct and didn’t stop to think before he acted. Without a single hesitation, his fist connected with Poe’s nose. 

Gasps and shrieks sounded around them as the two men came at each other. Han and Hux immediately sprang to attention, as did Phasma. With her tall and very lithe physique, she was more than capable in aiding to separate the two men.

Rey still stood frozen on the spot.

She had not seen this coming. She hadn’t known Ben was that interested in her. Well, she’d hoped he was, but she wasn’t sure. And she didn’t want to seem forward either, since his mother was her boss and they both were on Skywalker’s payroll. It would have been complicated to say the least. Hell, it already was… But she stood there now, staring at these two men, cousins in fact, who were giving each other lethal looks, wondering if perhaps she should have done something, anything to ward off Poe. Han, Hux – who was instantly sober again – and Phasma still stood between them, making sure they would not launch at each other again.

“Ben, don’t let the guy get on your nerves. We all know you do have a tendency of sabotaging your own happiness. It’s what Skywalkers do.” Luke’s drunken loll sounded revoltingly loud in the now very quiet drawing room.

As if in slow-motion, Ben’s world came to a halt. He turned his head towards Luke - who lay sprawled like Bacchus on the settee - and narrowed his eyes. He gritted his teeth viciously as he ground out every word.

“Is that so, _Uncle_?” he spat as he took a slow step in Luke’s direction. “ _I_ am the one who sabotages _my_ happiness?” He clenched his fists and his entire stance grew even more aggressive if that were possible.

Luke seemed to sober up a little at those words, so menacingly spoken.

“As I recall, I wasn’t the one who pulled every goddamned string in the universe I could to make sure I couldn’t get into the Naboo University of the Gifted Jedi Arts, now was I?”

And just like that, all the anger, all the shame, all the hurt of the past six years just came rushing out, words tumbling from his mouth like a waterfall.

“I wasn’t the one who talked to my friends on the board, offering them whatever it was they wanted if they just refused my application and kept at it until I stopped applying. It wasn’t me who kept eliminating every damned possible route of a future outside of your precious Skywalker Corporation. It wasn’t me who ruined my own life and then pretended to be as innocent as a newborn baby and lying to my family like a hypocrite about it, that’s for goddamned sure, _Uncle_.”

Another round of gasps could be heard, but Ben was too consumed by his emotions to notice.   
A single tear slipped down his cheek and he angrily bit out.

“I _trusted_ you! I looked up to you! When you told me to always chase my dreams, that’s just what I did. When I found out that _you_ were the reason I kept getting refused; and not just there, but any major art school around…”

He shook his head and the hurt and rage contorted his entire expression. “I never mentioned it. Never breathed a word. Nobody could ever know that the mighty Luke Skywalker would do something so vile to his own flesh and blood, right?” He sneered. “Well, I’m done keeping my mouth shut,” he said as he drew in a deep breath. He stood straighter and squared his shoulders, lifting his chin and looking down on his uncle with contempt.

“And you two!” he shouted as he addressed his parents. “The both of you instantly blamed me for whatever had happened, not even going through the trouble of finding out what had happened! You just left me to fend for myself, to deal with it alone as I always had to! You were always paying more attention to your careers than you did to your son!” His chest was heaving, his breath coming in short gasps that only enhanced the pain instead of diminishing it.

“I’m done. Done with pretending. Done with this party. And I’m done with you. I quit. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” He sneered. With one last look around the room, his eyes lingering on Rey briefly with pain evident in his gaze, he turned and left without looking back.

The entire room was shrouded in silence for a full ten seconds. It was broken by Leia’s accusing exclamation.

“You did what?!” she shouted as she turned to Luke and pushed his shoulder.

“Tell me you didn’t!” Han joined in.

The entire room broke into a frenzy. They all started talking at the same time.

Rey still stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. Hot tears were stinging her eyes, but it wasn’t until she met Luke’s gaze that she let them fall.

The heartbreak, guilt and shame she saw in his weathered face was almost as overwhelming as Ben’s had been. She had to close her eyes to keep from falling apart in his place.   
She muttered ‘Excuse me’, even as she was sure no one had heard, and no one noticed her leaving the room.

Rey went upstairs and immediately went to Ben’s room.

She stood outside his door and got cold feet. He’d been pretty upset. He wouldn’t want to see her. Still his words kept ringing in her ears.

_You just left me to fend for myself, to deal with it alone as I always had to!_

The thought of having him go through yet another ordeal without someone to lean on…   
If anyone understood loneliness of that caliber, it was Rey. She’s felt that way her entire life. She wouldn’t wish it on anyone, let alone someone she had come to care for.

_Someone you came to love._

Her head snapped up as that single traitorous thought slithered through her mind.   
Did she love Ben? Was that even possible? She’d only known him for a few days and didn’t even know him all that well… Sure, she was attracted to him. Immensely. But was it love?

And yet, as the thought continued to roll around in her head, she felt her heart expand and swell in her chest. Warmth flooded her entire body. His angular face swam in front of her closed eyes and she felt her entire being tremble by the effect of that imaginative dark gaze.

She opened her eyes with a flash.

She didn’t want to face this feeling. Not yet. But she couldn’t let him be alone now either.   
Hesitantly she lifted her hand and rapped at his door.

“Ben?” she asked gently. When she got no answer, she knocked again and repeated his name a little harder.

Still nothing.

There wasn’t a single sound to be heard on the other side of the door. She turned back to her own room when a gentle voice startled her.

“You won’t find him there.”

Rey looked up and was startled to find Luke standing a few feet away. Seeing him filled her with an anger she couldn’t explain nor contain.

“Was that the mistake you were referring to, Mr Skywalker?” she spat, feeling so bad for Ben, so angry in his stead that she couldn’t help but lash out.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? What on earth were you thinking!” she all but shouted.

Luke hung his head.

“None of that matters now, does it?” he answered. He sounded tired, weary and old. “I wish I could take it back, Rey. I’ve been thinking of ways to make it up to him for the past five years, but…” He ended with a deep sigh.

Rey stared at him and tried to ignore the pangs of sympathy she felt towards this man.

“You know where he is,” she stated dryly.

Luke just nodded, then lifted his shoulder.

“He could be in two places. And he wouldn’t want anyone to disturb him in either place.”

Rey crossed her arms over her chest and lifted a brow in question.

“He’s either at the temple at the south end of the estate or in his studio,” Luke relented with a sigh.

Rey uncrossed her arms and started to walk past Luke when his voice made her freeze in her tracks.

“I really am sorry, Rey. So very, very sorry.”

She turned to look at him and could only witness in silence how bitter tears trailed slowly down Luke’s weathered cheeks.

“I thought I was doing the right thing back then. I never realized I was causing him so much pain. Artists, real artists, rarely ever make a living from their art and I wanted to spare him that fate. I didn’t want him to end up closed off and bitter, and because of what I did, he became exactly what I wanted to prevent. I have spent the past five years thinking of ways to right my wrongs, but I’m afraid I’ll never make it up to him.”

Rey took a deep breath and tried not to get swept away by the sincere agony on Luke’s face.

“Then you need to tell _him_ that. Not me.”

And with those parting words Rey stalked down the hallway and downstairs. She wandered around the house, but when she got to the location of Ben’s studio, the door was locked. There was no reply when Rey knocked. All was quiet.

When she got back to the great hallway, the front door opened. Rey’s breath hitched as Ben entered, his coat and hair completely covered in snow.

“Ben!” Rey sighed in relief. “Thank Goodness! I was so worried!”

He looked up as he heard her voice. His gaze, however, was as frosty as his coat.   
He said nothing as he took off his coat and shook the snow off. He then took his sweet time to put it on a hanger and put it in the wardrobe.

He walked towards her and just as he neared her, he said snidely: “I’m sure Dameron won’t mind easing your worries.” And with that he stalked past her and up the stairs.

Rey’s jaw dropped. She drew in a deep breath and her face contorted into a classic study of pure shock. It took her a full thirty seconds before she found herself capable of action. She let out an exasperated sound and turned on her heel. She angrily stomped up the stairs after him.

She banged on his door, certain that they were the only guests in that particular wing.

“Ben!” she shouted. “Ben Solo, open this door right now!”

She continued banging, so when the door was suddenly flung open, it caught her by surprise. Her fist thumped on his chest, and he grabbed her wrist on pure instinct. It caught her off guard and made the breath rush from her lungs.

“WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?” he ground out through gritted teeth. He released her wrist and stood in the doorway like a sentinel. “And for Maker’s sake, stop shouting!”

“That was a low blow you delivered downstairs and you know it!” She narrowed her eyes at him and her mouth became a grim line.

“Maybe from your point of view. Totally justified from mine,” he said with an air of arrogance and contempt.

Suddenly, she got it.

“Is this what you do when you’re hurt? You push people away?” she asked with vehemence.

His eyes narrowed.

“Leave me alone Rey. I’m not in the mood for this.” He stepped back and was about to close the door when she pushed herself through the opening, crossing the threshold of his room.

“No!” she shouted. “You are not shutting me out!”

“Rey…” His voice trailed off in a warning growl.

“No, Ben, I won’t go.” Her eyes became pleading. “You can’t make me.”

And damn his soft heart! But as he looked down into her eyes and saw those hazel orbs look up at him with so much faith, it made him feel as if he was kicking a puppy.   
He let out a deep sigh and shoved his hands through his hair. He closed his eyes briefly and prayed for strength.

“Rey, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But right now, there’s nothing you can do or say that will make this any better.”

 _Except maybe ‘I love you’. That could work._  

“At this point, I’m too pissed off to be susceptible to any form of reason. And I’m not sure how long that mood is gonna last.  So do both of us a favor and just go to bed. There’s nothing you could say that I would want to hear.”

She felt her stomach fall at those words.

“Fine,” she said with defeat in her voice. “Fine, I’ll leave you alone.” She took several steps back. “But don’t you ever dare claim that you _had_ to do this alone. You chose to this time.” She sent him an accusing glare, turned around and walked into her room, slamming the door for good measure.

Ben stood staring after her and closed his own door silently.   
He walked up to his window and stared out at nothing. This entire evening had turned into the Holiday from Hell. He was still angry and embarrassed as all got out. To have spilled his guts, not only in front of his own family, but in front of Hux and Phasma and Rey…

He was moved by her tenacious attempt at coming through for him. She’d made it clear she was there for him.

And she was right.

He did push people away when he was hurting. He’d always felt alone anyway. Han had always been off, flying from one place to the next, doing Maker knows what. His mother had always been working, putting all her energy in Skywalker Corporation. She’d never been home, never taken much time to take care of her little boy, her awkward teen, or her insecure young man.   
Although he knew his parents loved him in their own way, he just wished that for once in their lives, they would put him over anything else.

So, when he went through a rough patch, he went through it alone. Because that’s how he had always handled it before. To think Rey wanted to be there, insisted on being there for him, despite him being a stubborn moolfmilker…

He closed his eyes but opened them just as quickly. Because every time he closed them, the sight of Poe kissing Rey flashed before his mind’s eye and he felt his temper soar again.

He took a deep steadying breath.

He would take this night to cool down. To find his center again. To deal with the crazy rollercoaster these past few days had been. A part of him felt relieved. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders after telling everyone what the Holy Luke Skywalker had done. As if, in some strange way, he had purified himself of a festering, putrid wound inside. He vowed then and there that he would never keep things bottled up for that long ever again. And in the morning, he would go to Rey and apologize. And tell her how he felt.

He went into his bathroom and took a long hot shower, mentally going over all the ways he could tell her he was sorry for being such a nerfherder. He crawled into bed and tried to sleep. And for the first time in six years, blessed sleep found him quickly.   



	8. Chapter 8

_December 25 th _

Rey got up  before five am.  
She hopped in the shower and got dressed. After that, she threw her last few things in her suitcase and exited her room as silently as she could.

She asked one of the staff to arrange a car for her. While the guy ran off to do her bidding, she walked into the large drawing room, where the tall Christmas tree was. She knelt down with a deep sigh and choked back a few tears. She left Ben’s gift under the tree. Both the gift-card and box with the ornament, containing a special note that she had written before the entire Christmas disaster. She put the envelope with the note she’d written him that morning in front of the gifts and sighed. Rey wiped at an errant tear and stood with determination.

If this was what family Christmas’s meant, she wanted none of it!

She would rather stay at home alone, with her movies and her ugly tree, than to ever be subjected to such heartbreak ever again!

Lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders, she walked over to the kitchen and left a note for Leia on the island counter. Then she turned around, went back to the hallway, and walked out the front door without looking back.

The car took her straight to the airport where she booked the first flight home they had and made them charge Skywalker Corporation shamelessly. Rey figured they owed her that much after last night. Soon she found herself on a plane heading for Coruscant, chewing her nails at their reactions.   
It didn’t matter. Not anymore…

 

Ben woke up at eight am.

He felt ridiculously rested and hadn’t woken once during the night. He felt infinitely better. Although he was still angry and ashamed, he had been right to assume that the night would take the edge off.

He quickly showered and dressed and headed straight for his studio. He picked up the painting he’d selected and wrapped the day before and then set off for the formal drawing room.

When he got there, the first thing he noticed was his mother sitting on the sofa with her head in her hands. Han was sitting beside her, rubbing her back and murmuring something to her.

Luke stood in front of the Christmas tree, his shoulders slumped and he seemed to have aged a decade overnight.

The sight made Ben’s insides scream with instinct. Something terrible had happened.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Everyone in the room looked at him. Silence hung heavily in the air until his mother’s broken voice sounded feebly.

“Rey’s gone,” she said and a tear slipped down her cheek.

Ben went completely still.

“What do you mean: Rey’s gone?” he asked like a dimwitted idiot.

Han was the one to speak up.

“She left. She wrote your mother a note. She said she didn’t feel it was justified to stay here when resolving our family issues would take up so much of our time. She went back to Coruscant this morning.”

Ben’s mind was racing. As was his heart. He’d pushed her away. He’d gone too far and pushed away the one person he wanted to hang on to.

He frowned, his mind going at lightspeed, trying to come up with a plan to get her back. He turned to leave, to go out and go after her, when Luke’s voice stopped.

“Ben, wait a minute.”

Ben didn’t know what possessed him, but he actually turned back to his uncle.

Luke seemed incredibly insecure and it boggled Ben’s mind. The mighty Luke Skywalker wasn’t afraid of anything! He was a Knight of the Jedi Order for crying out loud! Knighted by the queen of Naboo herself after the Battle of Yavin. But here he stood, practically trembling with fear.

“I need to say something to you and I’ve been wrecking my brain about this for the past five years. And if it weren’t for a certain young woman, I’d still be trying on my own,” he said demurely, not looking up from his feet. He stood wringing his hands and fidgeting.   
A tasteful grey silk tie hung from his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ben and Ben was shocked to see tears in his uncle’s eyes.

“I am so…” Luke’s voice broke and he had to squeeze his eyes shut and breathe in deeply a few times before he could continue. “I am so incredibly sorry for what I did. If I could take it back, I would. I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping you away from chasing down an artist’s life. They have such a small chance of getting anywhere with it and I didn’t want to see your talent wasted. I thought pushing you into a more stable environment would benefit you more, but I was terribly wrong. Then you started coming out with your paintings and you did so well and I realized I’d made a huge mistake. And when I wanted to set things right, you found out what I had done and it was too late…”

Ben was rendered speechless, frozen to the spot. Luke continued softly, his voice hoarse and rough with emotion.

“Not a day goes by that I do not regret my course of action, nor that I don’t wish I’d find a way that I could ever make it up to you. Six years is a long time to carry such a load of guilt and shame, but I only have myself to blame. I just hope that one day you’ll see that, as unreasonable and wretched my method was, I only did it to protect you from harm and heartbreak. I’m so very sorry, kid.”

Ben made a choking sound. More tears were running down his uncle’s face and Ben didn’t know how to respond. He shook his head from side to side, frowning and breathing hard. When he spoke, the words were rushed.

“Why didn’t you just say so?” Ben rattled on. “I mean, six years is a long time to learn how to say ‘I’m sorry’, isn’t it? Most of us learn how to do it before kindergarten. I’m not saying that we’re good now but it’ll suffice for now. Apologizing, that is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to…”

He was cut short by Leia’s soft voice.

“Rey left you a gift.”

He turned his head to her in surprise.

“She did?” It was all he could say.

His mother nodded with a mournful smile.

He walked up to the tree and knelt down at the base. A small package, in a shiny red box with a big golden bow, a small gold envelope with a red bow, and a bright white envelope with ‘to Ben’ scribbled on it were waiting for him. He reached for the envelope and took out a note.

 _God, she has terrible handwriting_ he thought with a rueful smile.

He started to read the note, feeling his throat tighten as the words slowly registered.

 

 _My dear Ben,_  
  
When you read this, I will most likely be on my way back to Coruscant.   
I have come to care for you and your family deeply, but I cannot continue to stay with you all when there are so many issues to resolve. When we spoke last night, it dawned on me.  
All I wanted to do was let you know that you weren’t alone. That I would be there if you needed me. But you once again proved something that I cannot seem to learn in life: some people don’t want my help. Some people do not need me, even if I try to make myself believe they do.  
I had hoped to convey my sentiments more eloquently, but I’m not a poet.   
I am just a woman who is fed up with life’s tantrums.   
I sincerely hope that you and your family get through this and perhaps by some Christmas miracle, you all will end up on speaking terms again.   
I wish you the very best.   
Love,  
Rey

_  
_

__  
  


  
Ben swallowed hard. His hands were shaking by the time he finished the note. He reached for the smaller gift first. When he opened it and saw the gift card for a famous branch of coffee houses, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud, garnering strange looks from his relatives. It died down only a little when he read the tiny line on the bottom of the card: _‘Here’s to hazelnut fraps and walking on the wild side unattended ;- ) ‘_  
  
But when he proceeded to open the next gift, his breath caught and his eyes misted over.   
Inside the red box sat a beautiful ornament. It was made from the most delicate glass he had ever seen, a pearlescent gloss making it seem infinitely fragile. But the shape was what stood out most.   
It was a heart, with in its center a tiny star. A small card had been placed in the box, and once again he found himself reading that awful scribble of hers.

 

 

 

 __  
My dear Ben,  
  
When I saw this ornament, it instantly reminded me of you.   
To me, it represents love and hope.   
Beautiful to behold, very fragile, but stronger than you might suspect.   
Two things you sorely lack in your life and two things I would gladly give you.   
I hope this may inspire you to find more of it, wherever you go.   
Merry Christmas,   
Love  
Rey

_  
_

 

Ben sat down and didn’t even try to hold back the tears. But through them, he smiled.   
She cared for him. Possibly even loved him. And he… he was an idiot!

Speaking of idiots, that was the moment Poe decided to show up.

“Goodmorning sunshines! Merry Christmas! How are we all this morning?”

Ben sniffled, wiped his tears on his sleeve, and laughed.

“I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse.”

He looked up at his cousin and the guy looked at him as if they hadn’t thrown punches around only hours before.

“You look like it,” Poe said and laughed.

“And you look like you want another punch in the nose,” Ben joked.

That remark made Poe frown slightly.

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” he asked, slightly wincing when the frown pulled a muscle in his nose that had taken the brunt of the beating.

Ben got up, sniffed again, and then looked his cousin in the eye.

“Tell me, Dameron… Do you still own that little plane of yours?”

Poe’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“She’s not little! She’s a sports airplane, designed for agility and speed. But… Yeah, of course. Why?”

Ben smiled and walked up to Poe. Staring him in the eye, he simply said: “Cause that’s how you’re going to repay me for getting me in trouble with my girl. Get dressed, sunshine. I need you back here in ten minutes tops.”  
  
With that Ben ran out to his room and threw a few random things in a duffel bag. By the time he got back to the drawing room, Poe was ready to go. Ben walked up to Han on a whim and gazed at him levelly.

Han smiled. “You’re finally listening.”

Ben smiled back. “You were right. I’m not letting go this time.”

Han clasped Ben’s shoulder and tears filled his eyes. “That’s my boy. Go get your girl.”

Ben nodded, then turned to his mother and planted a kiss on her cheek on impulse.

“Be careful, Benjamin!” she shouted as he turned to leave, picking up the painting and the duffel bag on the way.  They made one more quick stop to get their coats and then were off like the wind.

They got in the car and sped off to the airport as fast as the weather permitted.

“So…” Poe broke the silence that was growing tenser by the second. “That was something last night, huh?”

Ben didn’t even look at Poe when he answered.

“Yes, it was.”

Poe shifted in his seat and was obviously uncomfortable.

“Y’know, Ben…” he started off in a low voice, “I didn’t know you two were that serious. If I had, I wouldn’t have… y’know…”

Ben looked at his cousin and saw the sincerity on his face.

“That’s okay, Poe. I didn’t realize how serious we were until that moment either. So I guess I should say thank you for that.”

He turned his attention back to the window.

Poe’s eyebrows shot up at that answer. He thrummed his fingers on his knees for a little while, in tune with whatever song was on the radio.

“So… Do you have a plan?” Poe asked.

Ben simply said: “No.”

Poe looked him over and was completely baffled.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“You really don’t have a plan?”

Ben looked back at his cousin with a belligerent look. “You mean aside from going back to Coruscant and try to get her to talk to me?”

Poe stared at him.

“Yeah, besides that. Do you?”

“Nope.”

Poe just broke out in a wide grin and winked.

“You really are your father’s son, aren’t you.”

They both laughed at that as the car continued to race down the road as fast as the weather allowed. They arrived at the airport, where Poe immediately started to go through all the necessary protocol to get his airplane – the Shara, named after his mother - permission to leave on this very snowy Christmas morning. Once they were strapped into place and airborne, Ben turned to Poe.   
“Hey Poe… I bet you can’t get this thing back in Coruscant in under four hours…”   
Poe looked back at Ben and a wide grin broke unto his face.   
“I’ll take that bet, Solo. Buckle up…”  


 

Meantime in Coruscant, Rey had arrived back at her apartment.

The teeny, tiny living space seemed claustrophobic after having had the run of the house back in Mon Torri. And still she felt happy to be back. When she closed the door behind her, she exhaled deeply and tried to avert her attention.

Rey quickly went into her tiny bedroom and unloaded the suitcase, tucking everything back where it belonged. After that, she put on her warmest pj’s, put her onesie over that, and completed the look with the fuzzy slippers and tattered robe. She turned up the heater and made herself some hot chocolate. As she dove right back into her old habits, clearing the coffee table, putting up some candles, and adding an entire assortment of Christmas cookies and hot beverages, Rey felt more like herself again with every passing second. She put her favorite Christmas movies on a pile and put the first one in the dvd-player. She settled in with her blanket and her pillows. And as soon as the movie started, she allowed herself to break down and weep in silence.   
She stayed like that for several hours. Halfway through ‘How the Grinch stole Christmas’ there was a knock at the door.

She frowned and paused the movie. She padded over to the door, her slippers making that typical swooshing sound.

“Who is it?” she shouted out.

“I have a package delivery for a Miss Rey Kenobi.”

A muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door. She glanced through the peephole but saw nothing discernable. She decided to risk it and opened the door. The sight that greeted her, had her rooted to the spot.

“Ben?” she exclaimed.

She was gaping like a fish, her eyes all but bugging out of her head.

“What are you doing here? And how did you know where I live?” she asked, confusion wrecking every normal train of thought.

“You gave me your address on the plane, remember? So I could send you my dry cleaners bill?”

Her eyebrows shot up as she remembered she had in fact given her address to a practical stranger.

“And you left before I got to give you my gift.”

Rey just looked at him, completely flabbergasted that Ben Solo was standing in front of her, when she had done all she could to avoid him today.

When the silence grew uncomfortable, Ben made a face.

“Rey, may I please come in so I can give it to you?”

“Oh, right!” she said, seemingly coming back to the here and now. She stepped aside and let him enter her tiny apartment.

He looked around and instantly liked it. Sure, it was incredibly tiny compared to his flat on the Upper End, but this felt so much more like home than his own place.

“I like your apartment. I love what you’ve done with,” he started to say but was interrupted by Rey.

“Ben, I literally flew back to Coruscant so I wouldn’t have to be around you. Just say what you want to say and leave. I’m in no mood for this.”

She sounded rude and ungrateful, but her heart was breaking dammit! She deserved some peace and quiet!

She watched as he pursed his lips in that cute way of his, so insecure and so nervous, and she hated that she loved it when he did that.

“Right,” he muttered softly. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry about last night. You were right. About everything. And I’m sorry that I’m such a moolfmilker. I’m told it runs in the family.”

She smiled despite herself, the sincerity in his voice and his attempt at humor to lighten the mood was not lost on her.

“I just really wanted to give you this myself.”

He handed her the large flat parcel. Her eyebrows shot up at the sheer size of the thing and then drew down into a frown.

“What is it?” she asked dubiously.

“Open it and you’ll see,” he whispered. He bit his lower lip as nerves wrecked through him.

Rey looked up at him, her hesitation practically tangible as she took the large parcel to her small dining room table. She read the tiny card first.

_‘Here’s to new muses.’_

She couldn’t help but smile at the reminder of a funny moment during the Christmas from Hell.   
She carefully opened the parcel, removing sticky tape first, then carefully pulling away the paper. The longer it took her, the more nervous Ben got.

When she pulled away the paper and saw the painting, she was shocked into silence for a full minute.

“You don’t like it,” Ben uttered, feeling his entire world slip from under him.

She looked at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open.

“This…”she started haltingly, “this is me?” she asked.

“Yes,” Ben said slowly.

“But…” she said as she made a face and an incredulous expression crossed her face. “But…” she started once more and had to swallow down her tears a few times.  “But this is a Kylo Ren,” she said and couldn’t help the tears from spilling down her cheeks.

She looked up at him with a question in her hazel eyes.

“And you are his new muse, Rey,” he said and he had to swallow past the lump in his own throat.   
“And he is standing here, praying to the Forces that be that she won’t leave him ever again, now that he’s finally found her.”

“You’re Kylo Ren?” she whispered.

Ben pursed his lips and nodded, unable to say another word for fear of breaking down.   
He watched helplessly as Rey pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and sobbed.   
Powerless to do anything, he just stood there for a few seconds until he could no longer stand it.

“Rey, please talk to me?” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. When she just continued sobbing, he tried again, worry tinging his words.

“Rey, please, say something. Tell me you’re alright. If you want me to leave, I will, but please just say something,” he said desperately. He sighed and pushed his hands through his hair in frustration.

Rey stopped sobbing and walked around to a side table where there was a box of tissues. She blew her nose – rather loudly – and then took another tissue to wipe away her tears.

“Why are you here, Ben?” she looked up at him and her eyes were so guarded, he felt all hope slip from between his fingers. But then her words rang in his mind again.

_Beautiful to behold, very fragile, but stronger than you might suspect._

He took a deep breath and decided to put it all out there, to take a leap of faith and risk his heart being smashed into smithereens.

“Because I have fallen madly in love with you the first time I laid my eyes on you and I’ve only grown to love you more every single day. And the idea of spending my life without you is abhorring and cruel and I don’t ever want to be without you again.”

Rey’s jaw dropped and she drew in a loud breath.

“You are?” she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

He smiled gently, feeling hope rekindle softly in his heart.

“Ever since you spilled your coffee on me.”

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, but this time they were paired with a brilliant smile.

“That’s good. Because I think I love you too.”

Ben let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and it escaped in the form of a relieved sigh.

“Thank the Maker for that!” he said and he closed the distance between them. He cupped her face and lowered his mouth to hers. And as their lips met, it seemed as if the entire universe let out a huge sigh. It was everything she had ever hoped his kiss would be. Gentle, tender, hot, passionate. The man could definitely kiss. She felt herself melt against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped one arm around her waist and deepened the kiss even more. Sparks flew, blood heated, and heartbeats accelerated to dangerous levels.

They had no idea how long they had been standing there, nor did they care.   
When they came up for air, he rested his forehead against hers, the gesture as tender as it was trusting.

Rey smiled and looked up into those dark eyes that had haunted her since their first encounter.

“I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am you came to your senses.”

Ben chuckled and replied solemnly. “So am I. Merry Christmas, Rey Kenobi.”

Rey’s smile grew even wider.

“Merry Christmas, Ben Solo.”

They kissed again, slowly and languidly.

Together they settled on the couch and snuggled under the blanket. They were just in time to see how the Grinch’s small heart had grown three sizes that day. He joined her in her annual tradition of indulging in Christmas sweets and Christmas classics. Together, they ate and drank. They talked. They laughed and cried.

“You’re not alone,” he whispered softly into her ear halfway through ‘It’s a wonderful life’ as he nuzzled her temple.

“Neither are you,” she whispered back. She turned in his arms to look into his eyes. “Not ever again,” she said and sealed it with a slow kiss.

There was no need to rush after all, for right now, their future looked as bright as the Mon Torri snow.

 

 **** _The end._  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END.... 
> 
> And now I'm dying with curiosity!!! 
> 
> Did you like it? Did you hate it?   
> Let me know by leaving me a comment! I'm sure to respond! 
> 
> Thank you for sticking around!   
> I hope you enjoyed this story! 
> 
> Lots of love  
> B

**Author's Note:**

> :)  
> Dying to hear what you think!


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